20/06/2026
I get asked quite a lot how the bakery is going, so here’s the honest answer. I love my core group of customers. I’ve got to know so many of you now, and the connections with neighbours, doorstep chats and familiar names on orders really do mean a lot. Our free deliveries are settling into a good rhythm, and Oscar arriving at the end of bake day is always a highlight. Each loaf takes about 3 days. Building the levain, mixing the dough, then long fermentation. So when things go wrong, they really go wrong. The recent heat has caught me out a couple of times. Still learning. It’s a lot doing this on a small scale. Preparing, baking, slicing, packing and sorting in a tight space. Some days I get to packing and realise I haven’t had enough water and feel a bit woolly headed. I’ve also found more generosity and support from other small bakers than I often did in corporate life. I’m part of a WhatsApp group of people using the same oven, and it’s been brilliant, b***y and funny. I really value that so many of you care about ingredients as much as I do. Not just flavour, but where things come from. Organic and regenerative farming, biodiversity, all of it. There have been times where things haven’t gone to plan. New flours, or me getting something wrong. I’m very grateful for the kindness when that happens. I always try to put things right, but if I’ve ever missed anything, please let me know. It is hard work, and after ingredients, utilities and equipment there isn’t loads left. And there are tough moments. Spending time making, slicing and packing an order, only to be told it needs to be £2.40 and they don’t want it and I’m left with the bread, unpaid. I can’t compete with supermarket pricing and I’d be an idiot to try. I do know I’m cheaper than a lot of others offering this type of product. I did have a bit of a cry hearing a bigger bakery is taking over a nearby pub. But good for them. It’s a big undertaking. There’s a few months before they open. In the meantime I’ll keep doing my best, keep learning, and keep baking for a community I’m really grateful to be part of.