Loaf Community Bakery is our bakery in Cotteridge, South Birmingham, specialising in sourdough and other artisan breads. Bread is baked at the home of Loaf director Tom Baker, in both a conventional and traditional wood-fired earth oven. The bakery sells bread through a ‘community supported bakery’ scheme (see below), as well as selling some wholesale to specialist local delis. Bread is made with flour grown and milled in the UK, some from watermills in Warwickshre, and some from Shipton Mill in Gloucestershire.
Loaves are baked on a Friday, and need to be collected that evening between 4.30 and 7.30pm. Collection is from Tom’s house in Cotteridge. A large (800g) white sourdough (Cotteridge Sourdough), a large (800g) granary sourdough (Charlecote Granary Sourdough), and a large (800g) 100% rye sourdough (Revolution Rye) are available weekly. All breads keep well for 5-7 days and are suitable for freezing. Other specialities such as brioche and ciabatta will be available occasionally on a first-come first-served basis.
About the Bread
Revolution Rye - A 100% rye sourdough bread. This loaf is baked with a 2-year old rye sourdough starter, and UK-grown organic light rye flour, topped with pumpkin and sunflower seeds. It has an amazing depth of flavour and surprising moisture. Like a good cheese or wine it gets better with age, and is at its best 2 or 3 days after baking. It will be in good condition for 5-7 days. 800g. Always baked in a tin.
Cotteridge Sourdough – Flour, water, salt, wild yeasts. Nothing else. A loaf born and raised in Cotteridge using a 4-year old wheat sourdough starter, and UK-grown organic white flour. This is a great everyday bread that has a subtle sourness and light airy crumb. It keeps well for 5 days, and freezes well too. 800g. Baked as a round boule.
Charlecote Granary Sourdough – Made with a mixture of wholemeal flour from Charlecote Mill in Warwickshire and UK grown white flour, with added wheat grains, spelt grains, oatmeal, sunflower seeds, and malted barley, and dusted genorously with dark rye flour. This loaf is fermented overnight, and has a deep wholesome flavour with nutty, toasted overtones. 800g. Sometimes baked in a tin-shape.
Cotteridge Sourdough, Revolution Rye, Charlecote Granary Sourdough
Invest in Loaf Community Bakery and subscribe for just £11 a month!
Subscription costs £11 for four loaves or £30 for 12 loaves. Choose from the selection above, and collect one loaf each Friday afternoon/evening.
I’m sold, how do I subscribe?
Unfortunately the bread club is now fully subscribed, but we are keeping a waiting list for spaces that become available in the future. We’re hoping to move the bakery to bigger premises in the summer of 2011 and therefore expand the membership. To join the waiting list email Tom on bread@loafonline.co.uk to register your interest, who will reply with more details.
What is a Community Supported Bakery anyway?
The idea is simple, and it’s borrowed from the American community supported agriculture (CSA) model. Each month you ’subscribe’ to a farm (or in this case, a bakery), giving a set amount of money upfront. Because of your monthly investment and commitment to the farm (bakery), the farmer (baker) has a guaranteed income and so can invest in equipment, tools, supplies, labour etc, in order to repay your investment with an agreed amount of produce every week. The farmer (baker) gets some security and a leg-up in surviving against the industrial food system, and you get wholesome produce, produced responsibly and sustainably, at a fair price. In this case, there will also be less wastage, as the baker knows exactly how many loaves he needs to bake.
