News archive

Campaign news archive to April 2015

Loaf tanning salon victory in Oz

10 April 2015

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) today announced that the Federal Court has fined Coles supermarket AU$2.5 million for ‘making false or misleading representations and engaging in misleading conduct in relation to the promotion of its par baked bread products.’

The Real Bread Campaign sees the Australian ruling as a victory for shoppers and salutes the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for bringing about this successful action.

For the Campaign's full reaction, click here.

For the situation regarding marketing of bake-off loaves in the UK, click here.

WIN: Spelt by Roger Saul

7 April 2015

Spelt is the new book by Sharpham Park owner and member of the Real Bread Campaign’s original working party, Roger Saul. The subject? The clue’s in the title, really. Published by Nourish books later this month (RRP £20) we have a copy to give away.

Campaign supporters can enter here
Find out how to become a Campaign supporter here

Ends: entries must be received by 12 noon on 14 April 2015

WIN: Swallow This by Joanna Blythman

7 April 2015

We’re delighted that Joanna’s latest rummage around the murky corners of ‘a strange and inaccessible industry, with methods a world-away from our idea of domestic food preparation, and obscured by technical speak, unintelligible ingredients manuals, and clever labelling practices’ namechecks the Campaign. Out now from 4th Estate (RRP £15) we have a copy to give away.

Campaign supporters can enter here
Find out how to become a Campaign supporter here

Ends: entries must be received by 12 noon on 14 April 2015

Real Bread Campaign office intern opportunity

26 March 2015

Want to help the rise of Real Bread? The food and farming charity Sustain kneads a volunteer to start as soon as possible to support its Real Bread Campaign coordinator. Applications close at noon on Monday 13 April 2015. Read full details here.

WIN tickets to The School of Artisan Food Lectures 2015

20 March 2015

Now in their second year, the weekend of lectures (16 & 17 May) gives you the opportunity to hear from food experts including Real Bread Campaign co-founder Andrew Whitley, BBC Food Programme presenter Sheila Dillon, and food historians Bee Wilson and Ivan Day.

Tickets are £85 but thanks to organiser, and Campaign supporter, The School of Artisan Food we have two pairs of tickets to give away.

Campaign supporters can enter here
Find out how to become a Campaign supporter here

Ends: entries must be received by 12 noon on 10 April 2015

Real Bread rules the roost again at the World Bread Awards

8 October 2014

For a second year running, Real Bread Campaign supporters dominate the World Bread Awards, taking home the majority of the prizes on offer.

Recently seen delivering this year’s Real Bread rant at Abergavenny Food Festival, Campaign supporter Peter Cook of Peter Cook’s Bread won the gong for his ciabatta, which was also named overall winner. It was the second year in a row Peter picked up a prize at the awards.

Another Campaign supporter having a particularly good night was Aidan Monks of Lovingly Artisan, whose loaves bagged trophies in the Real Bread Campaign, People’s Choice and Tiptree Showstopper classes.

While there is only one category in which entrants loaves must be what the Campaign calls Real Bread (ie made without the use of any processing aids or other artificial additives), it’s great to see that most (and probably all) of the sixteen category-winning loaves met this simple criterion.

The other winning Real Bread supporters, bakeries they represent and categories in which they triumphed were:

As our charity’s supporter network is open to everyone, we look forward to welcoming not only all of the hundreds of other bakers who entered the awards, but also everybody who has enjoyed their loaves.

To read about the benefits of joining this winning team by becoming a Real Bread Campaign supporter, click here.

The winners in full: worldbreadawards.com/competition/winners

See the World Bread Awards 2013 Real Bread winners here.

Survey prize draw

4 October 2014

We need YOUR help to see if there’s enough interest in us organising a national Real Bread get-together and what the day should include.

Please complete the very quick (five minutes tops) survey here.

WIN!

Everyone who completes the survey by 5pm 17 October will be entered into a draw to win one of the following great prizes from Campaign supporters:

Hobbs House Bakery School sourdough day, 7 November
Join the winners of the HHB’s King/Queen of The Sourdough for a special, one-off event. After a breakfast of hot buttery croissants, you’ll enjoy a full (10am-7pm ish) day that includes poking around the Hobbs House Bakery sourdough vat, meeting HHB bakers and seeing them in action; an advanced sourdough skills workshop to geek out on everything from techniques and sourcing ingredients through to bread storage, with everything from kneading to proving to oven steaming in between; a play with the wood fired oven …and feasting like royalty on enough things sourdough you may well end the day in a carb-induced coma.
hobbshousebakery.co.uk/cookery-courses/

Brook Food baker’s booty
The gang at food equipment supplier Brook Food have raided the sundries section of their online shop to pull together a bundle of baking kit, perfect for aspiring Real Bread makers, worth more than more £50. This prize includes proving baskets, 100% linen couche cloth, stainless steel dough scraper, apron, flour scoop and bread marking knife.
brookfood.co.uk/sundries-tools

Assuming the event goes ahead, everyone completing the survey before 31 October will be entered into a second draw to win a pair of tickets to it.

Print not quite as small as the additives list on certain industrial loaves

Sourdough September events and competition

September 2014

The ninth month of the year is when the Real Bread Campaign goes on a mission to help everyone discover that: life’s sweeter with sourdough!

The simple aim of Sourdough September is to encourage more people to buy genuine sourdough Real Bread from a local, independent bakery, or bake their own at home.

You can find details of local events going on around the UK and beyond on our calendar here.

WIN!

The School of Artisan Food are offering their fellow Real Bread Campaign supporters the chance to win a place on their introductory two-day wild yeast and sourdough course with Campaign ambassador Emmanuel Hadjiandreou on 25 & 26 October. You can read full details of the course here.

Five runners up will receive a copy of Campaign cofounder Andrew Whitley's latest book, Do Sourdough from The Do Book Company.

To enter, you just need to answer a simple question.

The winner will be picked from all correct entries received between 1 and 30 September 2014.

Prizes, discounts and more in True Loaf 20

17 June 2014

The July-September issue of True Loaf, the magazine exclusively for Real Bread Campaign supporters (out in early July), includes your chance to WIN four great books, as well as discounts to two baking extravaganzas!

WIN

You can never have too many bread books. Well, you probably can, but you can never have too many good bread books. Over the past months, several Campaign supporters and friends have published tomes that would sit well on any self-respecting Real Bread lover’s bookshelf and now you could win yourself the lot!

Find details of how to enter in True Loaf 20, and on our competitions page.

This supporter competition closes 5 September...but we'll have one in the next issue, and another here.

SAVE DOUGH!

We’re working to ensure that there’ll be Real Bread action aplenty amongst the pink and sprinkles of these two huge baking shows in London, and we’ve secured special Campaign supporter ticket offers for both.

Find details of how to claim the offers in True Loaf 20.

MORE…

Features in the July-September issue include:

All this, a fab, free Sourdough September poster and more could be yours when you become a Real Bread Campaign supporter!

This is all in addition to the growing number of discounts from ingredients and equipment suppliers including Bakery Bits, Bread Matters, Doves Farm, Marriage’s and Shipton Mill; and on more than 50 Real Bread classes/courses, including The Bertinet Kitchen, River Cottage and The School of Artisan Food.

Find full details of why and how to become a Real Bread Campaign supporter here.

True Loaf 20 wil be winging its way to Campaign supporters in the first week of July.

UK shoppers at risk of a Great British Fake Off?

16 June

Last Thursday, DEFRA published draft guidance to the forthcoming new Food Information Regulations.

Having read it, we believe that the government has missed a golden opportunity to introduce an Honest Crust Act to protect shoppers from the risk of being misled when they buy a loaf, one of the most important staple foods in the British diet.

As we re-assert time and again, shoppers have the right to make fully-informed choices about the loaves they buy. Despite DEFRA giving the food labelling rule book a full overhaul, we believe that gaping loopholes have been left open.

Our main concerns around loaf labelling and marketing are that the new rules will allow the following to continue:

One effect of this information being withheld from shoppers is the risk that people mistakenly make like-for-like comparisons between such loaves and Real Bread from local bakeries, unaware of these important differences.

Surely the government could have gone a lot further than the basic EU requirements to protect not only shoppers, but also the small, local, independent Real Bread bakeries that are helping to revive our high streets and providing more skilled craft baking jobs per loaf.

An Honest Crust Act

To protect the rights of shoppers to be able to make fully-informed choices, the Real Bread Campaign calls for an Honest Crust Act that will require:

In the meantime, we call upon all bakers and retailers to adopt these policies and practices voluntarily.

In all this doom and gloom, we can claim one victory, albeit a minor one. While we still believe that the ‘token nutrients’ added to most UK milled flour is a sticking plaster approach to the issue of nutrition, at last loaf manufacturers will have to declare these on ingredients listings.

UK-made proving basket and Real Bread book to be won!

28 April 2014

The current (April-June 2014) issue of True Loaf magazine includes chances to WIN two great prizes:

Bakers brought to book
Photographer Victoria Harley's Oven Ready book features photos of sourdough Real Bread bakers at work: Phil Clayton at The Haxby Bakehouse in Yorkshire Joe Fitzmaurice at Cloughjordan Wood Fired Bakery in Ireland; Luc Martin at Tilburg Sourdough in Netherlands; and Aidan Chapman at the late, lamented Phoenix Bakery in Weymouth.
ovenreadyproject.blogspot.com

On good form
On being unable to find a British made proving basket for his British made Real Bread, Campaign member Mike Batho set about creating one. With initial help from a successful crowd-funding campaign, his company Breadstead now designs and makes proving baskets (aka brotformen and bannetons) in the UK from 100% recycled plastic.
breadstead.co.uk

Campaign members can find how to win each of these in True Loaf issue 19

If you're not a member yet, then JOIN US TODAY!

Both competitions end on 31 May 2014.

Real Bread bakeries vie to be crowned Britain’s best

6 January 2014

A baker’s dozen of Real Bread Campaign members are amongst the sixty bakeries in the running to claim the title Britain’s Best Bakery in the eponymous ITV1 series, which starts today at 4pm.

This is a great opportunity to show your support for your favourite AND the Campaign on Twitter using both the #BritainsBestBakery and #RealBread hashtags!

The thirteen competitors that are aiming to follow in the footsteps of fellow Campaign member Hambleton Bakery, which took the title in 2012, are:

Scotland:
Bakery Andante - @BakeryAndante
Blair Atholl Watermill
The Wee Boulangerie - @weeboulangerie

Newcastle & County Durham:
Clervaux Artisan Bakery - @clervauxcafe

Yorkshire:
The Sunflower Bakery

Peak District & Derbyshire:
Spondon Bakery - @SpondonBakery

The Marches & West Midlands:
Baked in Tettenhall - @BakedInfo

North & Mid Wales:
The Bakers’ Table - @TheBakersTable

Oxfordshire & Gloucestershire:
The Sandwich Box - @TheSandwichBox1

South Coast:
1066 Bakery

The Home Counties:
Cinnamon Square - @Cinnamon_Square
Victoria Bakery - @Victoria_Bakery

Dorset & Somerset:
The Phoenix Bakery - @ThePhoenixBaker

In addition, competing bakeries that are not current Campaign members but have put loaves on the online Real Bread Finder map are:

Cheshire & Greater Manchester:
Cowburn’s Artisan Bakery
Newcastle & County Durham:
Original Bakehouse
North & Mid Wales:
St Mary’s Bakery
Oxfordshire & Gloucestershire:
Cornfield Bakery
East Anglia:
The Cake Shop Bakery
Denver Mills
South & West Wales:
Welsh Bakery

Membership of the Real Bread Campaign is open to everyone, whether you bake Real Bread, enjoy eating it, or simply like watching telly programmes about ‘The King of The Table’.

The Campaign is part of the food and farming charity Sustain and relies on membership fees to survive. Find out how to join and support our work here.

Catch up with shows you missed to see how the Real Bread bakeries get on here.

Last minute Christmas gifts for loved ones...and the Real Bread Campaign!

16 December 2013

We have two great ideas for the difficult to buy for Real Bread lover in your life:

Real Bread Campaign gift membership
This is the gift that keeps giving. Benefits throughout the year include:

Buy now

Knead to Know: the Real Bread starter
Do you know someone whose loaves are good enough to sell? Do you keep saying they should start a second career as a weekend baker - or even quit their rubbishy job to do something they love? Well, this book will point them in the right direction!

Rising Up: our new therapeutic and social bread making report

28 October 2013

Rising Up is our new report on the therapeutic and social benefits Real Bread making offers to people living with mental health issues, or otherwise facing a tougher time than most of us.

It includes the results of a new survey of people living with mental health issues, or facing one of a range of other challenges, 88% of whom said bread making gives them a sense of achievement, 87% said baking makes them feel happier, and 73% said it helped them feel calmer or more relaxed.

In his foreword to the report, Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite writes: ‘Beyond measure I am excited by, and in full support of, the Real Bread Campaign’s endeavours to enhance awareness. As someone who has been offered a range of cognitive behavioural therapies, I would truly love to see more people who suffer from mental health issues, or who are simply going through a tough time, get the chance to try their hand at baking Real Bread to see how it could help them, too.’

As well as first-hand experiences of people who have benefitted from bread making, the report includes examples of organisations that have had success using the craft in their work, including:

Other short case studies include:

And outside the UK:

Our research indicates that only a tiny fraction of the thousands of people who would benefit ever get the chance to do so and we are still now working to secure funding to be able to run Together We Rise, a new project designed to change this.

Download the Rising Up report here

Read more about our Together We Rise plans here.

The Real Bread Festival

28 October 2013

The second Real Bread Festival takes place this Friday and Saturday, 1 and 2 November, at Old Spitalfields Market in London.

Real Bread guests include: Jane Mason (Virtuous Bread / Bread Angels), Manuel Monade and Yann Legallais (Flour Power City), Vincent Talleu (Flint Owl Bakery), Andrew Whitley (Bread Matters) and Chris Young (The Real Bread Campaign).

The Campaign has a stand at the event from 1100-1930 on Friday and from 1000 to early/mid afternoon on Saturday, so please come along to say hi to Chris and whoeover he manages to rope in to help out.

See photos from last year's event here.

You can find full details at: www.realbreadfestival.com

Campaign members sweep the bread board at World Bread Awards

9 October 2013

Last night saw Real Bread Campaign members named either winners or runners up in all but the kids’ categories of the first ever World Bread Awards.

Congratulations to our winners Artisan Bread Organic (gluten free), Alex Gooch Artisan Baker (ciabatta and flatbread), Cinnamon Square (speciality), Haxby Bakehouse (Real Bread Campaign award), The London Bread and Cake Company Great British white), Mayfield Farm (fruit), Pump Street Bakery (baguette) and SC Price (people’s choice).

Well done also to our runners up Artisan Bread Organic (gluten free), Alex Gooch Artisan Baker (sourdough and speciality), Flour Power City (wholegrain), Mayfield Farm (Great British white), SC Price (flatbread and Real Bread Campaign award) and Liz Wilson (home baker).

Collectively, Real Bread Campaign members scooped 18 of the 26 gold awards bestowed upon loaves.

All awards were given following a blind tasting by panels of expert judges, with the exception of the people’s choice award, which was the result of a public vote.

You can find the full list of awards here.

True Loaf magazine bumper prize competition

25 September

Issue 18 of the Real Bread Campaign’s exclusive magazine True Loaf (out early October), offers supporters the chance to win a Christmas stocking of the following Real Bread goodies, worth £245!

Introduction to Artisan Baking
(worth £165)
Bake your way to success at The School of Artisan Food as you learn all about ingredients, kneading, proving and shaping. Campaign ambassador Emmanuel Hadjiandreou will guide you through this hands-on practical day, which is dedicated to learning every stage of the artisan baking process. Includes light refreshments and lunch.
schoolofartisanfood.org

From the Wood-Fired Oven
(worth £32.99)
You don't need a wood-fired oven to bake the recipes in From the Wood-Fired Oven, but this book may inspire you to build one. Baker and oven builder Richard Miscovich provides all the techniques and know-how you will need to build and use a brick, masonry or earth oven.
chelseagreen.com

I love Real Bread poster
(worth £20)
One of Up to 20 Words’ range by Simon Gillies to suit every passion, this A3 typographic poster spells out exactly why so many people love Real Bread.
upto20words.co.uk

The Book of Buns
(worth £16.99)
Campaign member Jane Mason takes us on a journey around the world to explore bun culture with this collection of more than fifty easy-to-follow recipes. What’s not to love?
rylandpeters.com

Born and Bread
(worth £10)
The debut book from award-winning baker Rob Swift of RC Swift's in Ludlow, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary. (Published 1 December)
awaywithmedia.com

Articles in the new issue include making Real Bread with the lead baker at McMurdo Station in Antarctica (!); how a gluten free diet doesn’t have to consign you to a life of additive-laden bread substitutes; how newbie Real Bread makers are finding farmers’ and other local markets to be perfect nursery slopes; a report from Kneading Conference in the USA; this summer’s Bread Angels’ get-together; and a recipe for zhuzhed up pain perdu.

Find out how to get your doughy mitts on True Loaf here.

Young British Foodies' Real Bread winner

11 September

If you're a Campaign member, give yourself a pat on the back because we've won the Honorary award at the Young British Foodies. In his speech, campaign coordinator Chris Young accepted the award on behalf of all of our members and Real Bread bakers we know, and said he hope it would raise more awareness of our work, particularly our Together We Rise plans.

In the Metro newspaper feature on the winners, food writer, chef and TV presenter Gizzi Erskine who helped judge the category said Chris is: ‘a powerhouse, genuine and inspiring.’

You can find more about the YBFs, including the full list of winners, here.

Support us on ebay for a chance to win £500!

11 September

The Real Bread Campaign is part of the food and farming charity Sustain.

We're listed on ebay, which makes it simple for you to make a donation to us whenever you buy, or donation some (or all) of the winning bid when you sell an item.

This month, ebay is offereing people who support us this way the chance to win £500 for yourself and £1000 for us.

Find details here.

Real Bread is Food for Life!

3 September

We're proud to announce that schools, hospitals and all other caterers serving Real Bread can now earn points towards silver and gold Food for Life Catering Mark certification from The Soil Association.

Caterers able to show that they serve what the Campaign defines as Real Bread (simply that it was made using no so-called processing aids or any other artificial additives) at least once a week will now gain ten points towards the silver and gold Catering Mark.

This is great news for caterers and even better news for their customers who’ll be able to choose and enjoy delicious Real Bread! We hope to see thousands of Food for Life Catering Mark holders going further than once a week by serving Real Bread with every meal and making improvements beyond simply kicking the additive habit.

Read all about the Food for Life Catering Mark at: www.sacert.org/catering

Cake & Bake Show - discount and lightning Twitter comp!

8 August 2013

Yes, the ‘cake’ comes first but the organisers are showing their continued commitment to Real Bread. The Campaign doughmongers appearing at Earl’s Court over the weekend of 13-15 September are Richard Bertinet, Aidan Chapman, Duncan Glendinning, Tom Herbert, Jane Mason and Patrick Moore.

Discounted tickets

The organisers are offering Campaign members advance purchase tickets for just £10 (usually £14.50). For your discount code, click here.

NB - Though your membership number that will allows you to access this discout code is emailed to you automatically when you join us, occasionally people report they do not receive it. We apologise to anyone who wants to take advantage of this offer after 5pm on 12 September 2013 and find they don't have their membership number but cannot be held liable for this.

Draw

****THE DRAW HAS NOW CLOSED!!!***

To WIN one of four pairs of tickets we have to give away, Campaign members simply need to follow us on Twitter and Tweet the following BEFORE MIDNIGHT on Thursday 8 August:

WIN a pair of @CakeandBakeShow tickets! Simply join @RealBread Campaign & RT this tweet. Details & Ts&Cs: http://bit.ly/16xdTrf #RealBread

Terms and conditions

****THE DRAW HAS NOW CLOSED!!!***

Knead to Know - back in print!

22 May 2013

The original limited edition of 1000 copies of Knead to Know Sustain published in 2011 SOLD OUT in early 2012.

Thanks to ongoing high demand, it took the fancy of food and drink specialist publisher Grub Street.

We're flattered and delighted that our little book has been picked up by such a well-respected publisher and now sits alongside the likes of Elizabeth David's English Bread and Yeast Cookery in their catalogue.

Knead to Know is published by Grub Street on 1 June 2013, ISBN 9781903060490, RRP £15.

Exclusive early bird offer!

We're offering copies of Knead to Know to existing and new Real Bread Campaign members in the UK before the official publication date for just £10* - that's 33% off the RRP of £15.

To find out more about the book and offer, click here

Crumb Together: Real Bread workshop for community cafes/enterprises

22 May 2013

Join Ethical Eats and the Real Bread Campaign at The Better Health Bakery for an afternoon of mixing, kneading, eating and chatting - what could be nicer? The afternoon will include:

The aim of our Real Bread making workshop is to help community cafés, caterers and food projects to get baking and making Real Bread available to your customers and local communities. Places are limited, so we will prioritise bookings from people who are planning to introduce or expand Real Bread onto the menus of their community food enterprises.

NB As this is a subsidised event and we have just 12 spaces available, we need to ensure they go to people from community food enterprises with the passion and facilities to put Real Bread on their menus. If you are interested, please email Charlotte Jarman to let her know about your enterprise and how you plan to put Real Bread on your menu. charlotte [at] sustainweb.org

The session runs from 3-7pm. Before you book, please ensure you'll be able to make it on time and not have to dash off before the end!

A wholegrain of truth?

27 February 2013

Today the Real Bread Campaign publishes ‘A wholegrain of truth?’, a report looking at the marketing of industrial loaves that claim the healthy halo of ‘wholegrain’. The investigation of products marketed under some of the UK’s highest profile brands found one loaf with merely a miserly 6% wholemeal flour on its declared ingredients list.

The report also considers the separate category of loaves marketed as ‘wholemeal’ and highlights the practice of what the Campaign sees as ‘diluting’ wholemeal wheat flour with soya flour and refined powdered wheat gluten as being rife amongst industrial loaf manufacturers.

Download the full report here.

Campaign office volunteer opportunity

18 February 2013

The Real Bread Campaign has a vacancy for a volunteer* to assist Campaign coordinator Chris Young in the office.

An outline of the volunteer’s role

Starting as soon as possible, we’re looking for someone who able to volunteer for one or more full days a week at least until the end of June 2013.

Other than the occasional event, you will be volunteering at Sustain’s office close to Angel Tube station in central London providing support to the Campaign coordinator, including tasks such as:

Desirable skills and interests

To apply

If you are interested in volunteering please have a good rummage around the rest of this website to get a proper idea the Campaign's work. Then, write a brief covering email outlining:

Email this and your CV by email to Chris Young: realbread [at] sustainweb.org

Applications close at 1700 on 27 February and shorlisted applicants will be contacted by the end of that week to be invited for a chat the following week.

* The successful applicant’s relationship with Sustain would be as an unpaid volunteer and there is no intention of forming any employment relationship. If carrying out tasks in the Sustain office for five or more hours in a given day, we can reimburse a volunteer’s receipted out-of-pocket expenses for lunch (up to £4) and travel to/from the office (up to £6).

We encourage applications from anyone with relevant skills and interests, but regret that we are unable to offer any payment or expenses beyond those outlined above; or assist with finding accommodation or with visa applications.

Real Bread get together

18 December

On 24 January 2013, join Real Bread Campaign members and friends at The School of Artisan Food for an informal, convivial, free afternoon of looking back on our achievements so far and forwards to the future.

Though the afternoon is really about meeting other Real Bread lovers, we have invited a few special guests to give a short talk or presentation, including three Real Bread Campaign ambassadors: Emmanuel Hadjiandreou, Tom Herbert and Andrew Whitley.

This is the first Real Bread event of this kind since November 2009, so don't miss out on this rare opportunity.

To find full details and book your free place click here.

Real Bread on the box in Britain's Best Bakery

20 November

Back in May’s edition of our Breadcrumbs enewsletter, we put out Shine TV’s call for local bakeries to take part in a new ITV1 series that aims to showcase some of the finest in the land.

We’re now delighted to be able to announce that a dozen of the thirty six bakeries shortlisted for Britain’s Best Bakery are either members of the Real Bread Campaign or at least have put their additive-free loaves on our Real Bread Finder map. The participating Campaign members are:

And of the remaining contenders, the following have told us that one or more (and in some cases all) of their loaves are what we call Real Bread:

We hope that the series generates as much interest in local, independent bakeries as The Great British Bake Off has for homebaking and let the best Real Bread baker win!

All other contestants, and indeed all other bakers in the UK, are welcome to put their additive-free loaves (and where people can buy them) on our map. Our invitation to join the Real Bread Campaign is open to everyone who cares about the state of bread in Britain.

Britain’s Best Bakery will be shown on ITV1 every weekday at 4pm for four weeks from Monday 26 November.

Follow @RealBread and cheer on your favourite #realbread #britainsbestbakery contestant on Twitter.

FREE Real Bread workshop for school teachers

13 November

The Real Bread Campaign has arranged a teachers' workshop in central London from 4.30pm to 7pm on Tuesday 15 January 2013. Spaces are available for just twelve teachers on a first come, first served basis. For full details and the application form please click here.

Bake for good: We want to hear from you!

19 October

We’re interested to learn from projects and enterprises that help people marginalised by mainstream society to take advantage of the therapeutic, social and employment opportunities that learning cooking skills (even better if that involves bread making) offers.

In particular, we would like to hear from projects that work to help people who are:

From your work, would you be willing to share with us:

If so, please get in touch realbread [at] sustainweb.org

WIN Real Bread making courses and books!

Thanks to a group of kind and not-at-all-secret Santas, the latest issue of our True Loaf magazine includes a sack full of great prizes from Real Bread Campaign members for Real Bread Campaign members – and you could win all of them!

School of Artisan Food class
A one day Real Bread baking class in the purpose-built classrooms of The School of Artisan Food in Nottinghamshire on a workshop of your choice during 2013.
schoolofartisanfood.org

Tracebridge Sourdough class
Spend the day with baker Gordon Woodcock learning about the sourdough process from starter to finished loaf. You'll get to bake your Real Bread in Tracebridge's wood fired masonry oven, and Gordon will also share how to apply what you have learned in your own kitchen when you get home.
tracebridgesourdough.co.uk

Bread Revolution
Duncan Glendinning and Patrick Ryan of The Thoughtful Bread Company are part of a revolution in how we think about bread, and show how easy and cheap it can be to make at home.
thethoughtfulbreadcompany.com

All You Knead is Bread
Jane Mason aims to inspire you to start baking by explaining the basic techniques, demystifying the process and showing you, with step-by-step photography, how simple it is to make a huge variety of breads.
rylandpeters.com

Find details of how to enter the four draws in True Loaf issue 13 – out now.

We posted issue 13 to Campaign members in the UK on 5 October. If you live outside the UK or offered to help us save paper, you can download your PDF copy here.

If you’re not a Campaign member – what are you waiting for?!? JOIN US NOW!!

Real Bread winner: The Londoners’ Loaf

5 October 2012

Hello, London and thanks for voting! Yes, the Smoke’s savviest shoppers have crowned Peckham Rye, baked by Brick House in East Dulwich, as The Londoners’ Loaf.

Given that The Games missed the opportunity to showcase the growing number of bakeries bringing additive-free loaves to the hearts of local communities around the capital, The Jellied Eel magazine and we thought we’d have to do it.

‘Pretty much perfect bread in all sorts of ways,’ is how competition judge Lucas Hollweg of The Sunday Times Style magazine described the winning maslin (rye and wheat) sourdough loaf. ‘It looks so beautiful that you just have to break it open,’ enthused fellow judge Diana Henry of The Daily Telegraph. Importantly, ‘it delivers on everything its looks promise,’ said The London Evening Standard’s food editor Victoria Stewart.

‘London is lucky to have seen Real Bread boom in recent years,’ said Jellied Eel magazine editor Ben Reynolds. ‘More and more people with a real passion for good, honest food have said “enough of pappy factory loaves” and begun making delicious Real Bread with nothing to hide available to fellow Londoners from high street bakeries and even their own kitchens,’ added Campaign coordinator Chris Young.

Brick House was just launched by Fergus and Sharmin Jackson earlier this year and still only bakes around 400 loaves a week for local shops, cafés and a weekly stall at Herne Hill Market. As well as the glory of having Peckham Rye named The Londoner’s Loaf, the bakery also wins major features in the October issues of The Jellied Eel and the Real Bread Campaign’s True Loaf magazine. Another Real Bread winner in this farinaceous fiesta is one lucky voter picked from the flour jar, who gets a one-day baking class at The Cookery School on Little Portland Street.

The Londoners’ Loaf trail began back in June, when The Jellied Eel magazine and Real Bread Campaign extended an open invitation to all London bakeries to enter the finest of their artificial additive-free loaves for the public vote. During July and August, 1172 Londoners chose between the twenty Real Breads entered. The ten loaves with the most votes then went forward to a blind tasting at Borough Market by London-based food writers Diana Henry, Lucas Hollweg and Victoria Stewart.

The runners up were the white tin loaf baked by The Spence Bakery and Hackney Wild, baked by E5 Bakehouse.

The award was presented today at the launch of The Real Bread Festival, which runs until Sunday on South Bank.

From twenty loaves entered, the ten finalists decided by the public vote were:

Medieval White baked by Astons Bakery, Cricklewood
Peckham Rye baked by Brick House, East Dulwich
Hackney Wild baked by e5 bakehouse, London Fields
Borough Brown baked by The Flour Station, Hendon
Ancient Bread baked by Flourish Craft Bakery, Tottenham
Multigrain sourdough baked by Rinkoff Bakery, Whitechapel
Hamlands sourdough baked by Rubens Bakehouse, Ham
White baked by The Spence Bakery, Stoke Newington
Weizenmisch brot (rye bread) baked by Sweet Tree Bakery, Wood Green
Sourdough baked by Victoria Bakery, Barnet

The first ever Real Bread Festival is here

4 October 2012

This weekend (Friday 5 to Sunday 7 October) a whole host of Campaign members will be turning London’s South Bank into a bakery at the first ever Real Bread Festival.

Kicking off the whole shebang will be the announcement of The Jellied Eel magazine’s Londoners’ Loaf winner on Friday morning.

Then over the three days, the demo theatre will host talks and demonstrations by Campaign co-founder Andrew Whitley; ambassadors Richard Bertinet and Emmanuel Hadjiandreou; Ben Mackinnon from E5 Bakehouse; Campaign coordinator Chris Young talking to The Baking Lab’s Maria Mayerhofer and stand-up baker Albert Smith; plus a host of Virtuous Bread’s Bread Angels.

They will be joined by Daily Telegraph Baking Club writer Rose Prince, Great British Bake Off winner Edd Kimber, cook and food writer Valentina Harris, ‘Danish Delia’ Trine Hahnemann, chef and food writer Rachel de Thample, Patricia Michelson from La Fromagerie, Tom Hunt from Tom’s Feast, Stephen Harrington of Harrington’s Kitchen and chef Maunika Gowardhan.

The Brockwell Bake Association roadshow will invite youngsters (and not-so-youngsters) to create their own Real Bread pizzas, and learn baguette shaping from Campaign member Vincent Talleu. They will also give you the chance to learn about heritage varieties of wheat and traditional stone milling from farmers and millers. You may even have the opportunity to thresh sheaves of wheat, then winnow and mill the grain by hand (TBC).

Out in the marketplace, Campaign members The Flour Station and Aston’s Bakery will be joined by fellow bakers Flourish, Nomades and Roti Master. More than twenty more stalls will offer everything you need, from cheese to chorizo to churros to organic wine, to accompany your Real Bread and create your own ambling picnic or take home.

The Real Bread Festival takes place on the banks of the Thames in front of Royal festival Hall from 11am to 8pm (6pm on Sunday).

For full details of all of the above and more, visit realbreadfestival.com

Let your Tweeps know! @RealBread #realbread @RealBreadFest #realbreadfest

Real Bread Campaign named BBC Food Awards finalist

1 October

The BBC Food Programme has named the Real Bread Campaign as one of three finalists in the Derek Cooper Award category of the BBC Food and Farming Awards.

Named after The Food Programme’s first presenter, the Derek Cooper Award is presented to 'an individual or team bringing about a real change in our relationship with food.'

Campaign member Pump Street Bakery was also named as a finalist in the Best Food Producer category.

Previous Real Bread winners of BBC Food and Farming Awards include Campaign co-founder Andrew Whitley (Judges' Special Award 2011), Campaign ambassador Richard Bertinet (BBC Food Champion, 2010), and Campaign member Alex Gooch (Best Food Producer, 2010).

This year's winners will be announced at the BBC Good Food Show at the NEC on 28 November.

Londoners' Loaf winner announcement at the Real Bread Festival

25 September

The wait is finally over: on 5 October, the Jellied Eel announces the winner of The Londoners' Loaf at the opening of the first ever Real Bread Festival on London's South Bank.

The all-star line up for this brand-new three day event also includes Real Bread Campaign co-founder Andrew Whitley, Campaign ambassadors Richard Bertinet and Emmanuel Hadjiandreou, Campaign member Ben Mackinnon of E5 Bakehouse, The Brockwell Bake Association's milling, threshing and baking roadshow featuring Campaign member Vincent Talleu, Great British Bake Off winner Edd Kimber, The Daily Telegraph’s Rose Prince, La Fromagerie's Patricia Michelson,‘Danish Delia’ Trine Hahnemann, a host of Virtuous Bread’s Bread Angels, Campaign coordinator Chris Young with even more of our members, including Maria Mayerhofer and Albert Smith., and deep breath, much, much more.

Oh, and stacks of Real Bread and other tasty treats to try and buy.

realbreadfestival.com
thejelliedeel.org

Factory loaf advertising: what standards?

19 September 2012

'If a picture paints...' then the Advertising Standards Authority has allowed Allied Bakeries a thousand words to say 'Allinson Today' is made by hand. Read full details of how the Real Bread Campaign believes that the Advertising Standards Authority has failed to meet its prime objective here.

The Londoners' Loaf: expert judges announced

9 August 2012

The Jellied Eel magazine and Real Bread Campaign can now reveal the judging panel for the final tasting will include award-winning food writers Diana Henry from The Sunday Telegraph, Lucas Hollweg from The Sunday Times and Victoria Stewart from The London Evening Standard.

Twenty London bakeries accepted the open invitation to put the finest of their Real Breads up for the public vote, which runs until 20 August.

The loaves with the most votes will then go forward to a final tasting by the expert judges, with the winner being crowned The Londoners' Loaf at the first Real Bread Festival, which runs from 5 - 7 October on London's South Bank.

Londoners can find the full list of competing Real Breads, where to buy them and the voting form at thejelliedeel.org

Campaign office volunteer needed

29 May 2012

The thing with finding great volunteers is that sooner or later they get tempted away by great jobs...

We're very happy that this has happened to Charlotte, but it means Chris is back on his tod in the office again.

So, if you think that you or someone you know might be in a position to lend me a hand here in the office, you can find full details here.

Feeding Britain’s Future - Skills for Work Week

29 May 2012

Are you keen to help the next generation of Real Bread bakers? Skills for Work Week is calling on food businesses to open their doors this September to give young unemployed people between the ages of 16 and 24 training in the skills they need to secure a job. More simply, you could host an open day, inviting young people to visit and gain an insight into working in a Real Bread bakery. It’s a bit like what they used to call ‘work experience’.

If you’d be more interested in offering a voluntary placement to someone of any age already committed to becoming a Real Bread bakery, please click here.

By giving up as little as two hours you could help people work towards financial independence, build their confidence and increase their chances of getting a job.

The sessions can last as long as you like – a couple of hours, a day, or all week. You could work with one group of young people for a single day, one person for a week, or welcome different people across several days – it’s entirely up to you and Jobcentre Plus will help you along the way.

There are many benefits of your Real Bread bakery taking part in Skills for Work Week. Your participation will mean that you are:

The campaign is designed to help young people from your local community improve their employability skills, and to secure talent for the industry’s next generation.

To learn more about Skills for Work Week, download the information pack here.

You can find full details and register your interest at: www.feedingbritainsfuture.com

If you do get involved: PLEASE LET US KNOW HOW IT GOES!

Win a baking class at The Cookery School at Braxted Park

28 May 2012

THIS COMPETITION CLOSED AT 12 NOON ON 30 MAY

The Cookery School at Braxted Park is offering Real Bread Campaign members the chance to win a place in its delicious full-day Breads and Pastries class with Guy Moore on Thursday 31 May - worth £135!

But hurry – you only have until 12 noon this Wednesday to enter!

“The Breads and Pastries class will show you how to perfect your kneading technique to create the perfect dough for sweet and savoury breads and give you some great ideas for the endless flavours and fillings that can be used. The course also includes the secrets of perfect sweet pastry and a divine baked cheesecake.

The Cookery School at Braxted Park is located on a 500 acre private parkland estate in Essex. Our fantastic team of award winning chefs offer over 30 different one-day cookery classes from Baking to Thai to Seafood. Our brand new kitchen opened in December and provides to ideal learning environment to have great day out cooking up delicious dishes.”

For full details of the class, click here.

To enter

For a chance to win a place on the Breads and Pastries class, Campaign members simply need to let us know:

Which one of the following is not a type of bread?

THIS COMPETITION CLOSED AT 12 NOON ON 30 MAY

The first correct answer from a Campaign member drawn from our flour jar will win and be notified before 2pm on Wednesday 30 May.

If you are not yet a Real Bread Campaign member, you can find full details of how and why to join here.

Terms and conditions

We really want to make sure that this great prize goes to someone who can make the most of it, so please only enter if you know you'll be able to attend the class (near Witham in Essex) from 9am to about 4.30pm this Thursday.

NB New members joining the Real Bread Campaign after 10am on Wednesday 30 May won’t be able to enter, but will have the chance to enter the competition in the current True Loaf and more in the future.

The Londoners' Loaf competition

25 May 2012

Real Bread bakers of London: the Real Bread Campaign and The Jellied Eel magazine are teaming up to find the Capital's favourite loaf of Real Bread, as chosen by Londoners.

With a readership of more than 50,000 of the Capital's most passionate food lovers, The Jellied Eel will help turn the festival loaf competition, beloved of many-a local summer fayre, into a city-wide celebration of London's fantastic farinaceous fraternity.

The idea is simple: each bakery nominates the finest of its Real Breads and Londoners vote for their favourite. The loaves with the most votes will go to a panel of experts, with The Londoners' Loaf being crowned at the Real Bread Festival on Southbank (5-7 October) and featured in the October issue of The Jellied Eel.

London bakeries have until 4 July to enter their loaves and the public vote will run from 9 July to 13 August at thejelliedeel.org.

For full details, including how to enter your bakery's loaf, click here.

The Real Bread Campaign’s position on actions against GM wheat trials

24 May 2012

This is in response to questions we have received from members of the Real Bread Campaign, our wider network of supporters and from the media.

Working with the GM Freeze coalition, the Real Bread Campaign has objected to the current GM wheat trials by Rothamsted Research. You can find details here.

The Real Bread Campaign is part of the charity Sustain, neither of which supports or condones the destruction of property or any illegal acts. No such activity will be carried out in the name of the Campaign and we do not condone or support anyone planning, or who incites other people, to do so.

The Real Bread Campaign has made its protest in the form of statements of objection, and by working with GM Freeze to encourage bakers and other people to pledge that they will not use or buy GM wheat products. On 19 April 2012, we joined representatives from GM Freeze and the Bakers and Allied Food Workers Union at The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to present more than 350 pledge signatures and a letter to Caroline Spelman MP, Secretary of State for Defra.

The Campaign’s only member of staff will not be at the planned picnic at Rothamsted Research on Sunday 27 March. Should any of our members or supporters go along, we hope they have a fun day and encourage them to do so peacefully, legally, and with plenty of GM-free Real Bread to share.

Please note that Sustain is an alliance organisation whose members have different views on GM technology, so Sustain has no single or formal position either for or against GM per se, but has raised concerns, in conjunction with some alliance member organisations, over a number of years.

True Loaf on Have I Got News For You

14 May 2012

The Real Bread Campaign members’ magazine True Loaf has just had a very public outing – as guest publication on BBC1’s Have I Got a Bit More News For You.

True Loaf made its appearance in the missing words round of Saturday’s extended version of the long-running comedy panel show. Guest host Alexander Armstrong introduced True Loaf by saying: ‘Frankly as magazines go it’s the best thing since…’

Team captain Ian Hislop suggested the answer to the question: ‘“Lord Rank behind the success of,” what?’ might be ‘Lord Rank behind the success of the granary, wheat, double strength super bun.’

‘Double strength super bun?’ Replied rival team captain Paul Merton. ‘With a bun like that we could take over the world!’

The host Alexander Armstrong then stepped in with ‘Er, no it’s not. “Lord Rank behind the success of the spongy, tasteless and additive-laden supermarket loaf.” He was not only the man behind Hovis, he was also the man behind The Rank Organisation, maker of the Carry On films, which explains why Sid James always enjoyed a couple of nice baps.’

Eagle-eyed Campaign members may also have spotted the back cover of the magazine peeking into the photo used for the caption competition round. In the picture Campaign member Patrick Moore, owner of More? Artisan bakery, holds a loaf of Real Bread, which HRH The Prince of Wales leans in to sniff. The loudest applause (and groan) in the round was at Ian Hislop’s suggestion of ‘all rise.’

The show is available to watch here on BBC iPlayer until Sunday 20 May 2012 at 36m 25s into the show. After that, you’ll need to keep an eye out for repeats on the BBC and Dave…

Screen grabs of Have I Got a Bit More News for You (series 43, episode 5) produced by Hat Trick Productions for BBC1 taken from BBC iPlayer. No infringement intended.

Open letter to all bakers in Britain

7 May 2012

Hi,

As this week (7-13 May) is Real Bread Maker Week, we at the Real Bread Campaign have penned this open letter to all of Britain’s doughmongers.

Whether making a loaf for yourself and family, baking as a professional, or sharing bread recipes and skills with other people now or later in the year, we have some questions that you might like to ponder:

Is there any need to use fast-acting / instant yeast?
Dried active yeast (usually sold in cylindrical tins) is much cheaper than sachets, widely available, just as convenient - even in bread machines if added with the water, will keep in the fridge for months, and, unlike most brands of the instant stuff, contains no artificial additives. Or you could get your mitts on the fresh stuff.

Do I really need to add sugar?
Flour contains more than enough food to keep yeast thriving. So unless you’re making a sweet bread try leaving out the empty calories of sugar, honey, syrup or whatnot.

Do I really need to add oil or fat?
Delicious, moist Real Bread is not reliant on either, so unless you’re making an enriched bread (such as a buttery milk loaf, or focaccia drizzled with olive oil) then these are just more unnecessary empty calories.

Could a no-knead recipe be what I need?
Homebakers: If you feel kneading is too much work, takes too much of your time or that you’re just not up to it, then try a no-knead Real Bread recipe. These effortless doughs are given more water and more time (theirs, not yours) allowing you to just mix, leave and bake.
Professionals: not exactly no-knead, but you might like to experiment with an autolyse method…

Could I use less salt?
Homebakers: when baking Real Bread try using not much more than a teaspoon (6g) per 500g of flour.
Professionals: the Food Standards Agency’s target is 1% or less by loaf weight.

If I’m using any artificial additives, do I know exactly why?
Homebakers: before throwing a pinch of ascorbic acid (or flour with it added already) into dough, please ask yourself why and find out how it works. You can only make great loaves of what we call Real Bread without it.
Professionals: if using artificial additives they are making you miss an opportunity to offer your customers what the Campaign calls Real Bread. Might ditching them open the doors to you increasing your skills as a baker even further?

Could I slow things down?
Homebakers: the more time dough has to ‘ripen’ the more flavour it develops, but extra dough time is not your time, freeing you to go off and do something else. Rather than rushing dough by putting it somewhere warm to rise, using large amounts of yeast or adding sugar, make it fit in with your schedule by slowing things down instead. Using a recipe with less yeast and letting dough rise somewhere cooler can allow you to leave it unattended for hours – or even overnight in a fridge.
Professionals: try retarding your dough. Some bakeries find overnight proving even helps them change shift patterns to more sociable hours…

Could I use locally-milled stoneground flour?
Stoneground flour (wholemeal or sieved to make it lighter) not only tastes great but also contains more of wheat’s natural goodness. And if you’re lucky enough to have a locally-owned mill nearby, you’ll be helping the local economy, too. Even better if it’s locally-grown grain milled by an eco-friendly wind or water mill!

Is sourdough the way forward?
As well as boosting flavour, the ‘friendly bacteria’ (sorry for using such a yuck marketing phrase) in genuine sourdough have a natural preservative effect – without unnecessary additives or extra salt. There is also a growing number of very interesting scientific studies reporting all sorts of health benefits of sourdough bread making – though the Campaign would like to see much, much more being invested into research.

You can find more information on these thoughts and more, as well as recipes, courses, events, competitions, discounts and other offers, places to buy Real Bread, and links to a whole world of bready matters at realbreadcampaign.org

Happy baking from The Real Bread Campaign!

Bread not biofuel!

2 May 2012

‘Europe’s use of biofuels to fuel its vehicles risks driving land grabs and deforestation, increasing food prices, exacerbating poverty and hunger, and accelerating climate change.’

So begins Transport & Environment's 27 April 2012 open letter to President Barroso and all European Commissioners signed by more than 100 NGOs worldwide, including The Real Bread Campaign.

Many of the negative issues associated with biofuels are much wider than the scope of the Campaign. However, two factors have a direct impact on our work on bread here in the UK.

The Real Bread Campaign believes in an honest price for an honest loaf. By creating an extra demand upon grain, first generation biofuels (rather than those recycled from waste cooking oil, for example) contribute to forcing up the price of wheat (and other cereals) unnecessarily, therefore the price of flour and ultimately bread.

The Real Bread Campaign believes that wheat should be used to feed families, not 4x4s.
We work to help bring the whole of the Real Bread journey back as close to the hearts of our local communities as possible. The more UK farmers are lured (by commodity prices, EU and UK governmental policies, and perhaps subsidies) to grow crops for biofuel, the more British agricultural land will be taken away from growing food for the people of Britain. As a nation, we need to be working towards growing more bread making wheat on home soil, not less.

You can read the letter here.

transportenvironment.org

VAT rise plan is half-baked says Real Bread Campaign

27 April 2012

The Real Bread Campaign opposes the proposed VAT rise on certain hot baked goods due to the threat it poses to some local, independent Real Bread bakeries. Joining the anti pasty tax demo outside 10 Downing Street on 26 April, Campaign co-ordinator Chris Young said: 'Let's be clear, the proposed VAT increase is not a tax on pies and pasties: it is a tax on people. It will threaten the survival of those local, independent bakeries that rely on extra income from other hot baked goods to allow them to keep bringing Real Bread to the hearts of their communities. We’re worried that a 20% price rise will mean some people could not only lose the valuable service their local bakeries provide, but also their jobs.'

Not in my loaf!

19 April 2012

Today, the Real Bread Campaign, GM Freeze and the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union delivered an anti-GM (genetically modified) wheat pledge from more than 350 bakers, millers, farmers and consumers from around the UK to Defra.

This was accompanied by a letter to Caroline Spelman MP, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, expressing deep concerns about the testing of GM wheat at Rothamsted Research in Hertfordshire.

Chris Young of the Real Bread Campaign said:

‘The Real Bread Campaign finds ways to make bread better for us, better for our communities and better for the planet. We cannot see how genetically modified wheat fits with any of these aims.’

Pledge signatories state that they:

Everyone wanting to read and sign the pledge can do so at www.gmfreeze.org/actions/24/

Pictures from the visit to Defra: 1 2 3 4

Salt: how low can you dough?

26 March 2012

In very small amounts, salt is an important component of our diets, but in the UK we eat far too much of it.

Many Real Bread bakers bake with lower salt levels already, but during Salt Awareness Week 2012 the Real Bread Campaign is renewing its call to all bakers to reduce the amount of salt they use.

In support of Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH)'s work on salt reduction, we have published this new page for craft and home bakers.

Join the twitter conversation with @cashsalt and other people who see the value of #lesssalt in food.

Wanted: maker of moving pictures

16 February 2012

Are you a student filmmaker looking for a project theme, a professional animator who fancies doing a bit of pro bono work for a charity, a viral advertising whiz with time to kill, or an amateur creator of pictures wot move who’s happy to take on a task for a bit of fun?

Then you could be just who the Real Bread Campaign is looking for!

We’re seeking a volunteer to make a short (one to three minutes) eyegasm of moving pictures for a brand new Campaign anthem, currently being recorded for us by singer-songwriter Wojtek Godzisz.

We will be launching the song to coincide with Real Bread Maker Week (9-13 May), so will need the promo clip in time for media work at the end of April.

So, if you are interested in volunteering to create the moving pictures that will bring the song to life, please email a link to your showreel / previous work to us at realbread [at] sustainweb.org today!

Campaign office volunteer needed

9 December 2011

The Real Bread Campaign is seeking a volunteer to support its project officer.

Starting in January 2012, hopefully you will be able to volunteer for three months or more. Hours are flexible but ideally you will be able to volunteer for at least one full day a week. Other than the occasional event, the volunteer will be based at Sustain’s office in central London, close to Angel Tube station.

For full details and to apply, click here.

Gift membership launched: ideal for Christmas

8 November 2011

Yes, we’ve thought of a Christmas (or birthday, bar mitzvah, wedding, whatever) present so you don’t have to. For just £25 you can give the gift that keeps on giving - a year’s membership of the Real Bread Campaign. Giving the recipient four issues of True Loaf and twelve months of benefits, it's the gift that keeps on giving. For full details, click here.

Christmas hamper

1 November 2011

In an annual tradition, stretching all the way back to last year, we’ve collected together a hamperful of fantastic prizes for the discerning Real Bread lover.

With thanks to Aidan Chapman, The School of Artisan Food, 4th Estate, and Paul Williams, as a Campaign member you could win one of the following…

Learn to bake Real Bread at The Phoenix Bakery School
‘The Phoenix Bakery in Weymouth, Dorset runs the Monday Bakery School for anyone wanting to improve their own baking skills. Starting at 10am this is a no nonsense bread making day where you will learn to make the perfect sourdough culture with Aidan Chapman. You will also learn to make your own bread or pizza to enjoy over a relaxing lunch.’ (The prize is a voucher allowing you to book a date to suit you)

School of Artisan Food starter kit
Make your own Real Bread with the help of this baking bundle courtesy of The School of Artisan Food. Containing all you need to start producing delicious, wholesome and nutritious loaves, the kit includes: two mixing bowls, proving basket, dough scraper, baking blade, pastry brush, measuring jug, and a School of Artisan Food tea towel.

Short & Sweet – the new book by Dan Lepard
‘Dan Lepard is a baker and photographer who has worked with the likes of Ottolenghi, Giorgio Locatelli and Fergus Henderson. He is the author of The Handmade Loaf and has a very popular baking column in the Guardian. With this utterly dependable how-to-bake book you’ll be baking cakes, pastries, breads and cookies like never before.’ 4th Estate, £25, out now

An unique bread board from Woods World Wide by Williams
‘Beautifully crafted, handmade chopping boards finished with food-safe oils that are suitable for both vegans and those with nut allergies. Each board is unique, hand crafted by Paul Williams from a single piece of wood chosen for the natural grain. Each board varies in size and shape due to the natural material used.’

For your chance to win one of the prizes above, simply tell us in 300 words or fewer what Real Bread means to you. The author of our favourite will win the baking class and we’ll work our way down the prize list.

Campaign members: please see the current edition of True Loaf for how to send your entry.

The small print…

Wanted: Great British bakers

26 October 2011

The Great British Bake Off is back and they’re looking for home bakers to take part in the third series.

To find out more contact the GBBO team: baking@loveproductions.co.uk or 0207 067 4823 Or for an application form, go to: www.loveproductions.co.uk

NB To apply you must be over 16 on 1st February 2012. As an ‘amateur baker’ your main source of income cannot come from commercial baking in a professional environment and you cannot have ever worked full-time as a baker or chef. You cannot have acquired any formal NVQ or other professional catering qualifications in the past 10 years.

WIN a baking course with Andrew Whitley worth £415!

18 October 2011

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED - THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED

Bread Matters has just offered Real Bread Campaign members a prize that frankly makes the person writing this just a little bit jealous - a two-day wholegrain baking class with Bread Matters author and Campaign co-founder Andrew Whitley THIS WEEKEND (22 & 23 October 2011) worth £415!!

How do you make sure that nutritious wholegrain also means delicious, especially for the less adventurous members of the family? Fortunately, Andrew Whitley has considerable experience in achieving this balance, having started baking for a living over thirty years ago using only wholemeal flour stoneground from English wheat. Whatever your experience or skills, if you want to learn how to make everyday breads that bring out the best in both you and your ingredients, wholegrain baking is for you.

On this course, you make bread with your own hands from flour to loaf. Complete beginners are given a sound introduction, while those with some experience improve their range and understand, often for the first time, why things work the way they do (or sometimes don't). We cover the five crucial stages of proper breadmaking – mixing, fermenting, shaping, proving and baking – by way of basic yeasted and sourdough breads. Then we move on to other recipes, each demonstrating a different and delicious way of using the fermentation process.

After two days you take home everything you have baked, perhaps a little sourdough to leaven future breads and, almost certainly, a whole new understanding of what good bread is and how to make it at home.

All meals are provided, including dinner on the evening of the first day. Numbers are limited, so everyone gets good guidance. There is plenty of opportunity for questions and discussion brings insights into the wider world of bread and health, often arising from Andrew’s experience of starting and running the Village Bakery for over twenty five years. The surroundings are intimate and yet professional, the atmosphere purposeful yet relaxed.

The Course will be held at Bread Matters, West Linton, Peeblesshire, Scotland

For more details, visit breadmatters.com

To enter

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED - THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED

The first correct answer from a Campaign member drawn from our flour jar will win and be notified before 6pm on Thursday 20 October.

We really want to make sure that this great prize goes to someone who can make the most of it, so please only enter if you know you'll be able to make it to the class for the weekend.

T&C

Sorry but as we anticipate a lot of entries, we won’t have chance to reply to membership queries.

NB New members joining the Real Bread Campaign after 12 noon on Thursday 20 October won’t be able to enter, but will have the chance to enter future competitions. The October-December issue of True Loaf gives members the chance to win a bread making class at The Phoenix Bakery School (worth £100); a baking starter kit from The School of Artisan Food; Short and Sweet – the new book by Dan Lepard; or a handmade bread board from Woods World Wide by Williams.

Britain says: ‘hidden loaf additives are unacceptable’

1 October 2011

A new survey by the Real Bread Campaign of 1300 people around the UK found that:

Whilst continuing to fight for greater transparency, on 3rd October the Real Bread Campaign launches The Real Bread Loaf Mark. This allows people on the go to see at-a-glance that a baker says 'this is Real Bread,' which 85% of respondents to the survey, carried out by Toluna QuickSurveys, said would be useful.

Real Bread Campaign co-ordinator Chris Young said: ‘These results support the Campaign’s call for an Honest Crust Act. The people of Britain have the right to know what goes into the loaves we buy. When shopping we should have the chance to make fully-informed choices about the food we feed our families. Sadly, some manufacturers and retailers choose to hide unnecessary additives behind current EU legislation depriving us of this basic right. Surely Britain can do better than that?’

Survey results

More details of the online survey of 1300 British residents created by the Real Bread Campaign through Toluna QuickSurveys and carried out on 19th September 2011:

Gender: Female = 61%, Male = 39%
Age: 35-54 = 44.92%, 18-34 = 34.23%, 55+ = 20.85%

For more on additives and labelling click here.

Campaign member competition: WIN a day baking sourdough with Dan Lepard worth £230

21 September 2011

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED - THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED

The Cookery School on Little Portland St in London has just offered Real Bread Campaign members a fab prize – a sourdough baking class THIS SATURDAY (24th September 2011) with Dan Lepard, worth £230!!

The Handmade Loaf author and Guardian baking guru will cover how to create and keep a healthy leaven (or starter), then teach you expert techniques for mixing, kneading and shaping the dough, through to the finished loaves coming out of the oven. Dan will show you how to achieve the crust, crumb, taste and texture you've aspired to, along with a host of tips and tricks. After lunch , a second class on shaping skills, a recap on what's been learned during the day, and a Q&A session. Numbers will be limited to 14 people, to ensure that Dan is able to work with each of you individually. You will leave with your loaves, a pot of Dan's own leaven and a lot of new skills that you will be able to put into practice at home.

This class runs from 9am prompt to at least 4pm and includes lunch at The Cookery School, class notes, leaven and recipes.

www.cookeryschool.co.uk

To enter

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED - THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED

The first correct answer from our flour jar will win and be notified on Friday.

T&C

Sorry but as we anticipate a lot of entries, we won’t have chance to reply to requests for membership number reminders – it’s on your card and welcome email…

NB New members joining the Real Bread Campaign after 12 noon on Thursday 22nd September won’t be able to enter, but will have the chance to enter future competitions. The October-December issue of True Loaf gives members the chance to win a bread making class at The Phoenix Bakery School (worth £100); a baking starter kit from The School of Artisan Food; Short and Sweet – the new book by Dan Lepard; or a handmade bread board from Woods World Wide by Williams.

Salt: update

13 September 2011

Further to the story below and the CASH survey, here are responses from some of the Real Bread bakers mentioned - and one who wasn't.

Cranks "Cranks continuously monitors its salt levels across the entire product range and is always exploring ways to reduce the levels of salt present, taking measures to see where they can be reduced and improved upon.Cranks Bread is 100% organic and made without the use of emulsifiers, enzymes, mould inhibitors or time dough additives, using only 100% natural recipe ingredients, baking methods and traditional fermentation processes.Cranks will continue to review the salt content in its bread without compromising the Cranks quality ethos and the natural processes used in its product development."

PAUL UK Ltd has advised that some figures on its website, upon which some of the information published by CASH in its salt survey was based, was incorrect. PAUl has said that figures stated as salt levels were in fact sodium levels, and so salt levels in some PAUL loaves were considerably lower than published in the CASH report. Notwithstanding this, PAUL annouced an immediate salt reduction of 14% and ongoing work with CASH to reduce further.

Paul's Bakery (AKA Pauls and Paul's), the independent organic bakery in Melton Mowbray, would like to point out that it is in no way connected with the PAUL UK Ltd chain. CASH did not look at Paul's Bakery loaves for its study and the baker has advised that not only do his loaves all meet the FSA's 1% salt target, he also offers customers the option of being able to order loaves baked without salt at all.

Vogel's published this statement.

Real Bread: keeping below the salt to stay above par

2 September 2011

Real Bread bakers around the country have given the Real Bread Campaign a hearty response to a survey of salt levels.

In just 24 hours, more than 50 Real Bread bakeries have told the Campaign of the hundreds of lines of Real Bread with 1% salt or less (by loaf weight) that they bake between them.

As each bakery was asked to give just one example in each of four categories of bread, the number of lower-salt loaves they bake is likely to be much higher.

Since its launch in November 2008, the Real Bread Campaign has encouraged all bakers to keep salt levels in their loaves down to the Food Standards Agency’s target of 1%, or below. In order to help shoppers, bakers listing their loaves on the Real Bread Finder are invited to note which loaves meet this target.

Advice for bakers on the Campaign’s website and book Knead to Know, the guide to baking Real Bread for a local community, includes information on reducing salt levels, including a link to the FSA’s online salt calculator.

One benefit of membership of the Real Bread Campaign is access to The Real Baker-e, an online forum in which members can ask questions and share advice with each other, such as ways to reduce salt levels.

The Real Bread Campaign calls for the provision of full ingredients and nutritional information, including salt levels, at point of sale (e.g. on product or shelf labelling) to be made mandatory for supermarket in-store bakery and other unwrapped loaves, a position today echoed by Consensus Action on Salt and Health.

Whilst we support the aims of the CASH report, we want to highlight that it only looked at loaves from just five high street bakeries. This part of the study was not therefore - as some media reports could be interpreted as saying - representative of the high street bakery sector as a whole. We also draw people's attention to the other issues that challenge the rise of bread that is better for us, better for our communities and better for the planet.

Notes

The Real Bread Campaign's online survey was carried out between the afternoons of 1st and 2nd September 2011

The question asked was: “For each of the categories below, please enter the % salt in the loaf with the lowest amount. e.g. if you bake one 400g white loaf with 6g (1.5%) of salt and another with 4g (1%) of salt, select the figure 1. NB - this figure is % salt by BAKED LOAF WEIGHT, not baker's %”

Bakeries questioned were those that have created records in the Campaign’s Real Bread Finder

Sourdough spokesman on Great British Food Cycle

1 August 2011

Starting on Lammas Day, throughout August a very nice chap called Tim Keates is making the Great British Food Cycle on a 1930's butcher's bike from John O'Groats to Land's End. He's offering to pick up and drop off deliveries from small, independent food/drink producers en route.

In addition, he's agreed to be a sourdough spokesman (geddit? spokes...never mind) and plans to carry a pot of Campaign co-founder Andrew Whitley's sourdough starter, passing this on to as many people along the way as possible - but this can only happen if we find bakers for him.

So - if you are in any of the towns listed, would you be interested in grabbing some starter (refreshing the pot as you do so) and using it - perhaps for use in running a sourdough class for people locally, or even baking a loaf? Could be a great chance to get in the local paper.

If so, please email realbread [at] sustainweb.org with your contact details, how you propose to get involved and where, and we'll pass this on to Tim.

NB - Tim is cycling long and hard every day, so might not be able to reply to everyone who gets in touch. He won't be able to stop for more than a few minutes to give you some starter (and have a picture taken with you by the local paper, or short interview with local radio/TV if you can arrange it...) on his way through. A night on the town isn't on the cards, either...

PS - if anyone is experienced in driving a van and prepared to drive his support vehicle for a day or more, or has a sofa/bed to spare, he'd be v grateful...

Visit YouTube for the Great British Food Cycle preview

Tim's planned itinerary

1st Aug John O' Groats to Helmsdale
2nd Helmsdale to Inverness
3rd Inverness to Forres or Elgin (TBC)
4th Elgin to Huntly
5th Huntly to Aberdeen
6th Aberdeen to Arbroath (area)
7th Arbroath to Edinburgh

8th Rest day

9th Edinburgh to Coldstream (area)

10th rest day

11th Coldstream to Morpeth (area)
12th Morpeth to Durham/Bishop Auckland (area)
13th Durham to Harrogate
14th Harrogate to Stockport

15th rest day

16th Stockport to Wrexham
17th Wrexham to Newtown (area)
18th Newtown to Hereford

19th rest day

20th Hereford to Witney (area)
21st Witney to London

22nd, rest day & TV shoot

24th London to Wokingham (area)
25th Wokingham to Trowbridge (area)
26th Trowbridge to Taunton (area)
27th Taunton to West Dartmoor (unspecific)

28th rest day

29th Dartmoor to St. Austell/Truro
30th Truro to Journey's End -Land's End

Objecting to a GM wheat trial application

29 July 2011

The deadline for objections is 19 August 2011.

Rothamsted Research in Hertfordshire has applied to conduct a field trial of genetically modified (GM) bread wheat in 2012 and 2013 (reference 11/R8/01).

The wheat has been genetically modified to produce hormonal chemicals known as 'alarm signals' to decoy aphids away from the crop.

The current GM wheat project has received over £1.28 million in public (i.e. taxpayers') money via grants awarded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

The not-for-profit organisation GM Freeze suggests the following to be amongst reasons why people might wish to object:

The deadline for objections passed on 19 August 2011.

Read more

You can read about the issues surrounding this trial application in greater detail at the GM Freeze website here

Update

On 31 August 2011, we received the following email from Defra:

'We acknowledge receipt of your representation to the GM Team in Defra regarding release application 11/R8/01 from Rothamsted Research, which was received under the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 2002.

The comments and concerns which you have raised will be collated along with all representations received by the Secretary of State relating to this application. Within 28 days of the granting of consent to or rejecting this application to release a GMO, copies of representations received will be made available to the public via the public register which is held by Defra at Ergon House, Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 2AL. If the authors of representations have asked us to treat them as confidential they will not be placed on the public register.'

Win!

15 July 2011

Real Bread Campaign ambassador Emmanuel Hadjiandreou has certainly earned his stripes, with over twenty five years’ experience in professional bakeries around the world. Currently passing on some of his skills at the School of Artisan Food, Emmanuel has also taken advantage of his move away from nocturnal working to sit down and put just some of his wealth of knowledge down on paper.

The result is How to Make Bread, which is published in September by Ryland Peters and Small. Illustrated with more than 350 photographs, the book takes the home baker step-by-step through breads from a basic white loaf, to bagels, stollen, and sourdough.

Campaign members can find details of how to win a copy in the latest issue of True Loaf or on here our competitions page.

Many pappy returns (well, one)

11 July 2011

On Saturday 9th July, the Real Bread Campaign took a Chorleywood ‘Bread’ Process (CBP) loaf back from whence it came for its long-overdue retirement.

It was in July 1961 that the British Baking Industries Research Association launched, from its base in the Hertfordshire village of Chorleywood, the process by which around 80% of the loaves we buy are still made. The former BBIRA building now houses the Beaumont House Care Home, and it was to there that Real Bread Campaign co-founder Andrew Whitley and Campaign member Vanessa Holloway returned a CBP loaf.

We think this was a great fun way to get across a serious message: that after half a century, the additive-laced, no-time factory loaf has had its day. We believe that the true costs, hiding behind what at the till might appear to be a low price tag, are too high. For the sake of taste, skilled local jobs, our high streets and perhaps even our health, it’s time for us all help to bring Real Bread back to the hearts of our local communities!

Local residents’ taste buds agreed: in a blind taste test* on the day between a factory loaf and a loaf of Real Bread from Chorleywood-based Strattons Bakery, over 72% said that they preferred the taste of the Real Bread.

We were flattered that Gordon Polson (director of the Federation of Bakers), Alex Waugh (director of the National Association of British and Irish Millers), Stanley Cauvain (author of the book 'The Chorleywood Bread Process') and the comms manager of Warburtons, amongst others from the world of big baking/milling, turned up. We're not sure whether or not any of them took the test, though.

Meanwhile, Dilly Boase took charge of the mobile wood-fired oven, kindly leant to us by Paul Jones of Melton Mowbray, to give local people the chance to demonstrate their flair for baking Real Bread, and for kids to make their own pizzas.

Thanks to everyone who helped out on the day (including Pete who delivered the oven and then did sterling oven duty), and to Cinnamon Square for donating a basket of Real bread to take to the care home, and Neal's Yard for donating the pizza cheese.

As noted on our FAQs page, a growing number of studies suggest that Real Bread produced with longer dough fermentation times (especially in the presence of sourdough culture) could have positive implications in certain aspects of health and nutrition, including digestibility. By contrast, CBP employs artificial additives – some deemed ‘processing aids’ and legally not listed on the label – to cut the proving time down to tens of minutes. We believe the resulting dough to be ‘unripe’ and asks whether this could have a detrimental effect on more than just flavour.

Download a card to say pappy birthday to the CBP loaf now!

Click here to see pictures from the day.

Click here to see our home movie of the retirement

* 50 out of the 69 people who took the blind taste test at the Campaign’s stand chose Real Bread.

Dame Kelly Holmes champions local bakeries

21 June 2011

Double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes has voiced her support for local loaves.

Speciality Food Magazine yesterday quoted her as saying 'I believe wholeheartedly in championing activity within local communities, whether that’s via sport or by supporting local businesses. A healthy and busy central hub is essential to the wellbeing of all. My local baker, for example, sells wonderful tasty products that I simply can’t do without. We should all make a conscious effort during this year’s National Craft Bakers’ Week to visit our local baker.'

Hear, hear! we say, though would add - why wait for September, or even Lammas? Support your local community by getting along to the nearest independent Real Bread bakery today!

To find a list of which bakers have told us that they make what we call Real Bread (i.e. made without the use of any artificial additives, which sadly even some high street bakeries do use), please visit our Real Bread Finder. If you spot that a bakery you know is missing, the next time you are in, please pass on our invitation to add their Real Bread to our map.

One final note, whilst we fully support initiatives that encourage people to buy local loaves, we're sad that the sponsors of this particular one have over the past two years included several producers and suppliers of artifical additives.

Time to plan your Local Loaves for Lammas

16 May 2011

The Real Bread Campaign is offering to help bakers, restaurateurs, millers, bakery teachers and everyone else who supports the rise of Real Bread to let the country know about their Local Loaves for Lammas.

Taking place on and around 1st August, the initiative is the Campaign's major annual drive to encourage everyone in Britain to buy a locally-produced additive-free loaf, or to bake one at home.

Chris Young of the Campaign says: 'To get involved in Local Loaves for Lammas, simply do something that works for your business but which is a little bit different - perhaps bake a Real Bread to a special recipe, ideally one made from flour milled as locally as possible from grain grown as locally as possible, or maybe you could run a class to help people to bake their own. Then all you need to do is post the details for free to the events calendar on our website www.realbreadcampaign.org'

Since the Campaign launched the initiative in 2009, they have heard from many companies and organisations that being part of Local Loaves for Lammas has helped to boost not only the number of customers through their doors on the day, but also awareness-raising local media coverage.

People interested in getting involved can find ideas and inspiration from previous years' activities on the Local Loaves for Lammas pages in the events section of www.realbreadcampaign.org

Help say ‘pappy birthday’ to the modern factory loaf

12 April 2011

softer longer

July 2011 sees the 50th anniversary of the Chorleywood ‘Bread’ Process (CBP), and the Real Bread Campaign wants your help to say ‘pappy 50th birthday’ to the modern industrial loaf by designing a card.

Chef Michel Roux Jr said: ‘The Chorleywood Bread Process is past its sell-by date. It was in part to blame for the loss of the once great British baking industry and the disappearance of our local bakeries, which has been a factor in the sad demise of many a high street.’

Artist Jake Tilson added: ‘Art and design have always played an important role in campaigning and opinion-forming. This is a great opportunity to create an iconic design to challenge a major icon of synthetic food.'

For the chance to win a Real Bread baker’s starter kit from Hobbs House Bakery (worth £85), people simply need to send their card designs to the Campaign by 10th June. The winner will be selected by judges including Michel Roux Jr; artist and writer Jake Tilson; and master bakers Tom Herbert and Andrew Whitley.

NB - This Competition is now closed. The winner will be announced at the Chorleywood Village Day on 9th July and available from realbreadcampaign.org as an ecard from 11th July.

More on CBP

Named after the Hertfordshire town of its creator, the Flour Milling and Baking Research Association, CBP was launched in July 1961. It is now the means by which around 80% of the loaves we buy in the UK - some nine million units of artificial-additive-laden, wrapped, sliced stuff a day - are produced.

The CBP loaf has helped to destroy the jobs of many of the craftspeople who used to bake Real Bread for the nation. We mustn’t forget that the true cost of cheap loaves also includes the high price paid by local communities and economies.

A growing number of studies suggest that Real Bread produced with longer fermentation times could have positive implications in certain aspects of health and nutrition, including digestibility. By contrast, CBP eliminates most of the fermentation time required by additive-free bread. The Campaign believes these loaves to be ‘unripe’ and questions whether this could have a detrimental effect.

Many people, however, don’t care about any of this: after all doesn’t Real Bread simply taste better?

Real loaves down your local

7 April 2011

On Friday 17th June 2011, family-owned brewery Everards of Leicester invites Real Bread bakers to a taster of Project Artisan.

Join members of the Everards team, other artisan food and drink producers, and folks from the School of Artisan Food and the Real Bread Campaign from 6.30-9pm at The Royal Oak in Kirkby Muxloe, near Leicester, to hear about opportunities and the chance to chat. They’ll even throw in a drink and nibbles…

The new scheme aims to help artisan food and drink producers bring life back to redundant buildings located next to some of Everards’ pubs, and real food to the communities they serve. Bakers and other producers have the opportunity to rent a building that suits them, and Everards will support them to develop the businesses.

Project Artisan builds upon the experience gained by Everards in supporting tenants at 172 pubs, and specifically from Project William. Since 2007 Everards has been acquiring unloved locals, investing in them and working with artisan brewers to create brewery taps. At the centre of each redevelopment is the tenant brewer driving forward the sales of their own ales. Everards offers the capital and business support, with the artisan brewer contributing the real sense of community and local retailing flair on top of their real ales. Project William currently works with twelve small brewers across the midlands, some of who will be at the event on the 17th, and the innovation has been recognised by the Society of Independent Brewers.

If you’d like to join us at this Everards and Artisans evening, RSVP to Helen Parker at Everards by Friday 10th June: hp@everards.co.uk or 0116 201 4137

If you have any questions about Project Artisan or Project William, please contact Stephen Gould stephengould@everards.co.uk or 07801 610 940

www.everards.co.uk

Real Bread on BBC2

4th March 2011

The first episode of the new BBC2 series, the Great British Food Revival, broadcast at 8pm on Wedensday 9th March, is all about Real Bread. The show features Michel Roux Jr meeting Campaign working party member John Letts of The Oxford Bread Group, Campaign member Ben Mackinnon of e5 bakehouse, Campaign working party member Emmanuel Hadjiandreou at The School of Artisan Food, and Chris Young from the Real Bread Campaign office. Click here for more details.

Real Bread Campaign book published

18th January 2011

Today, we publish Knead to Know: the Real Bread starter. This book is the guide to success in baking Real Bread for your local community. Inside its covers, you'll find 140 pages of information on ingredients, basic recipes, techniques, business models, marketing, media relations, legislation, money matters, equipment, apprenticeships, courses, equipment and ingredient suppliers, further reading, and much more. Knead to Know is available here, with a 33% discount for Campaign members.

True Loaf 6 prize draw

January 2011

Join award-winning baker Emmanuel Hadjiandreou at The School of Artisan Food on 3rd April for a one-day European baking class, worth £150!. Emmanuel will share his considerable experience as he helps you bake French fougasse, Italian grissini and German sunflower rye bread. Light refreshments and lunch included.

For a chance to win a place in the class, Campaign members simply need to complete the survey enclosed with issue 6 of True Loaf (also availible in the members' area of the website) and return it to the Real Bread Campaign to reach us no later than Monday 14th March 2011.

All entries must be received by midday on Monday 14th March 2011 and winners will be notified the same day. The course date is fixed and the prize is not transferable or exchangeable for cash or an alternative prize. The prize is the class only. Transport to/from the venue and all other costs will be at your own expense. Sorry but new members joining after midday on 11th March won't get the chance to enter this time round.

Real Bread on the telly

25th October 2010

Starting on 2nd November, Turn Back Time - The High Street on BBC1 will see a group of real life shopkeeping families finding out what their lives might have been like had they lived in different eras, from the 1870s to the 1970s. The six-part show features the family of Real Bread baker Caroline Frampton, with expert guidance provided by Campaign working party member Tom Herbert.

Christmas Competition

22nd October 2010

This Competition has now closed but we're planning more for future issues of True Loaf.

As if you needed an more reason to join the Real Bread Campaign, this should have you dropping everything to do so rightaway.

The latest issue of True Loaf, the membership magazine for Real Bread Campaign members, features some amazing, money-can't-buy prizes. Well, okay, money can buy them but if you win then you won't have to buy it. Erm, shall I just get on with it?

All you have to do is answer a simple question by 25th November and you could win one of the following:

River Cottage course – worth £170!
One place on the course on 12th December (10am-5pm) at River Cottage HQ in the Devon/Dorset borders with master baker Aidan Chapman. Includes informal lunch and a copy of the River Cottage Bread Handbook by Daniel Stephens.

Apprenticeship Saturday at Phoenix Bakery, Weymouth – worth £150!
It’s that man again…a full shift (3am till 2pm) on 22nd January working with Campaign member, Aidan Chapman, on a variety of aspects of being an artisan baker, such as sourdoughs, long fermentation breads to puff pastry, croissants cakes etc. One for the aspiring professional, rather than happy-to-stay-amateur.

Real Bread baker’s starter kit – worth £128!
A bundle of joy from Bakery Bits, including a refractory clay baking stone, a peel, two cane bannetons (proving baskets), a pair of dough scrapers, a Mure & Peyrot grignette (a thingy used to slash the top of loaves) and a copy of The Handmade Loaf by Dan Lepard.

English Bread and Yeast Cookery
Grub Street’s October 2010 reissue of Elizabeth David’s classic.

Dough
A copy of the paperback edition of Campaign ambassador Richard Bertinet’s, award-winning first book.

Phew! Good, huh?

How to enter

This Competition has now closed but we're planning more for future issues of True Loaf.

Which item on the following list is the only one that is an essential ingredient in Real Bread?

A) Fungal alpha amylase
B) Ascorbic acid
C) Flour
D) Sodium stearoyl lactylate
E) Diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono and diglycerides of fatty acids

And if you're not yet a member, then join us now!

Greggs

12th October 2010

With over 1400 branches around the UK, Greggs is the biggest 'craft baker' in the country, so we decided to ask them for details of which loaves are what the Campaign defines as Real Bread and in which outlets they are baked from scratch on site. We submitted this via their online customer feedback form on 22 July 2010 and got an auto response that said we would receive a reply in three working days. As you may guess from the date of this entry, getting a full answer took a little longer than that. To follow the rest of the story, visit our FAQs page.

Are supermarket bloomers pants?

27th March 2010

A nine-month investigation by the Real Bread Campaign found the in-store bakeries of only one major supermarket chain producing any Real Bread.

Following repeated questioning of six major UK supermarket chains between June 2009 and February 2010, only Marks & Spencer advised that some of its in-store bakery loaves met the very simple Real Bread criteria of being made without the use of processing aids or any other artificial additives.

Amongst other findings, the report also highlights that many supermarket in-store bakeries do not bake every loaf fresh from scratch on-site but bake-off dough or part-baked loaves produced elsewhere. According to an article in British Baker magazine, bake-off production: ‘…demands around twice the energy of conventional breadmaking...’ Despite this, as in-store bakeries are classed as primary production sites, they qualify for financial incentives from government, paid for by taxpayers, through lucrative Climate Change Agreements.

The Real Bread Campaign believes that people have the right to know just how in-store bakery loaves are being produced. Without this knowledge, how can we make fully informed choices between purchasing them or opting for Real Bread from local independent bakeries or our own ovens?

Due to labelling law, customers are unable to know what additives have been used in the production of in-store bakery loaves unless they ask.

You can download the report Are supermarket bloomers pants? here .

Update 14 May 2011: The Grocer magazine has reported that sales of in-store bakery loaves dropped by £9million (a fall of 7.3% by value, 6.2% by volume) in 2010. Could our report and the awareness generated by it have contributed to this?

Real Bread for London 2012 Olympic Games

13 January 2010
Calling Real Bread bakers in and around London.

The 2012 Olympic Village alone will use something like 25,000 loaves - can you help to ensure that they are all Real Bread?

The organisers of the London 2012 Olympic Games have said that food supply and catering opportunities for London 2012 will start to be advertised in the next couple of weeks. It is therefore urgent for any food supplier or catering business wishing to participate in the London 2012 Games to register their business with the CompeteFor.com website to be able to benefit from these opportunities.

This site is where tender information, news and opportunities will be publicised and one of the key ways in which larger caterers can connect with a range of smaller suppliers of food and services.

Suppliers that can meet the assurance and sustainability standards listed in the London 2012 Food Vision (see link below) are particularly encouraged to register.

Business registration and links for regional opportunities
News of the key opportunities
Further information about Olympic food standards

CompeteFor now have over 100,000 businesses registered on CompeteFor, 30,000 of which are based in London. Around 74% of contracts awarded so far have been placed with SME businesses and 18% of them have gone to businesses with 10 or fewer staff.

The Rise of Real Bread: Changing Britain’s Daily Loaf

23 October 2009
Do you care about the state of bread in Britain? On Saturday 14th November, the Real Bread Campaign is joining forces with LandShare CIC and the Oxford Bread Group to invite everyone who does to join us St Anne’s College in Oxford for a day of debate, discussion and saffron buns.

The Rise of Real Bread will bring together growers, millers, bakers, educators, activists and consumers from around the country for an exploration into the murky secrets of industrial loaves and how we all can contribute to the continuing renaissance of all-natural Real Bread.

Chaired by Sheila Dillon of the Radio 4 Food Programme, speakers at this enjoyable and informative all day event include:

•    Rob Alderson - Unicorn Grocery
•    William Black – food writer, anthropologist and founder of The Natural Bread Company
•    Felicity Lawrence - special correspondent for The Guardian, author of Not on the Label and Eat Your Heart Out
•    John Letts - archeo-botanist, thatcher and founder of The Oxford Bread Group
•    Dan and Johanna McTiernan – owners of The Handmade Bakery
•    Colin Tudge - writer and biologist, author of Feeding People is Easy
•    Andrew Whitley - author of Bread Matters and co-founder of The Real Bread Campaign
•    Bee Wilson - food writer, historian and Sunday Telegraph food columnist
•    Martin Wolfe – Research Director, The Organic Research Centre

In a journey following the grain chain past, present and future from seed to sandwich, discussion titles include: wheat for the future; a history of bread making and the state of the modern loaf; what’s so good about Real Bread?; an introduction to community bakeries; and Real Bread is only for the rich and/or those with time on their hands.

After the event, everyone is invited to continue the conversation over a Real Bread feast at the nearby Freud Café.

For the full programme and to buy tickets (which include including lunch and refreshments) for the event, visit www.landshare.org/events/index.phpor call 01865 516585 for a postal application form.

National Baking Week

15th October 2009
National Baking Week runs from 19th-25th October and this year, organisers are encouraging everyone to Bake and Share. What better to Bake and Share than Real Bread? http://www.nationalbakingweek.co.uk/recipes/111/real-bread-rolls

Learning to bake Real Bread is part of The Bigger Picture

5th October 2009
On Saturday 24th October, we are offering visitors to the new economics foundation’s Festival of Interdependence the chance of free, hands-on Real Bread making lessons with an award-wining master baker.

Real Bread Campaign working party member, Paul Barker of Cinnamon Square in Rickmansworth, will share expert but easy tips, which you get to try for yourself. You will leave with not only your own delicious loaf of Real Bread but the skills to bake many more at home. Chris Young of the campaign will also be along chat about its aims, its work and how people can join the fight.

The Festival of Interdependence is part of The Bigger Picture, a creative series of events in response to current crises. The aim of the festival is to inspire and unite people across borders and boundaries. It brings together thinkers, artists, activists, poets and musicians for a day of learning, making, doing, celebrating and debating. As well as grappling with the daunting array of social, economic, political and environmental challenges we face, the festival will provide visitors with a glimpse of how a new economic system, which puts people and the planet first, could look and how to start the great transition to get there.

The two Real Bread sessions will start at 11am and 1pm, with each lasting about an hour. Participants can return to collect their loaves from about an hour and a half after the end of their session.

Sign up for limited places will take place on the morning of the event on a first come, first served basis.

nef Festival of Interdependence, Saturday 24th October, 11.00am – 6pm, Bargehouse Oxo Tower London SE1 9PH MAP

Nearest tube: Southwark, Blackfriars or Waterloo

http://www.thebiggerpicture2009.org/

No More Silly Loaf Songs

2nd October 2009
Well, the Real Bread Campaign did ask the Twittersphere for bad puns and with a year’s free membership at stake, boy, did we get them.

We sliced down dozens of truly dreadful (breadful?) Silly Loaf Songs to following shortlist of a baker’s dozen:

•    Another One Bites The Crust – Queen
•    Bread Bread Wine -UB40
•    Ciabatta Out Of Hell - Malt Loaf
•    Achy Bakey Heart - Billy Ray Cyrus
•    Knead You Tonight - INXS
•    It's a Naan's World - James Brown
•    Hit Me Bagel One More Time – Britney Spears
•    Muffin Compares 2U – Sinead O’Connor
•    I put a spelt on you – Nina Simone / Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
•    Rye Do Fools Fall In Loaf? – Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers
•    Crumb Together – The Beatles
•    Crust The Way You Are - Barry White
•    Oliver's Sarnie - Hovis Costello
•    Never Baguette - Bake That

For inflicting upon the world Ciabatta Out of Hell by Malt Loaf, Mark McKellier (@McKellier) has won a year’s membership to the Real Bread Campaign. Though we had only offered one prize, in respect of going above and beyond the call of duty by unleashing a veritable torrent of farinaceous folly, Guy Snape (@BreadSecrets), has been named joint winner.

You can find the full list of entries can be found on Twitter using the hashtag #sillyloafsongs

Real Bread for Camden Kids

1st October 2009
On Saturday 10th October, kids in the London borough of Camden are invited to a FREE hands-on Real Bread workshop at Kentish Town City Farm.

Each group will have two sessions, one to make the dough and learn a bit about Real Bread and the next about an hour later to shape the dough into buns. Participants can either come back a couple of hours later to collect the baked rolls or take the dough home to bake.

Group one will start just after 11am and group two at around 11.30am. Places are limited, offered on the day on a first come-first serve basis.

In between, kids and parents can take part in other activities at this or other venues.

The event is part of a day celebrating healthy, sustainable food in the community and to help mark the launch of Good Food for Camden, the borough's food strategy.

Family Day at Kentish Town City Farm, 1 Cressfield Close off Grafton Road, NW5 4BN

For more information, visit http:www.camden.gov.uk/goodfoodday or call 0203 5596 777.

#sillyloafsongs

1st September 2009
To celebrate the launch of the Real Bread Campaign membership scheme on 14th September, we are giving you the chance to win a year’s free individual membership worth £20. Simply tweet the title of your favourite #sillyloafsongs to @RealBread on Twitter between 14th and 30th September 2009. We are after bread-related puns, so think ‘Loaf and Let Die,’ ‘Another Little Pitta my Heart,’ etc.

Notes and rules

Membership scheme

27th August 2009
On 14th September, the Real Bread Campaign launches a new membership scheme for everyone who cares about the state of bread in Britain.

This is the chance for you to join professional and home bakers, millers, farmers, shopkeepers, educators, researchers, campaigners and passionate punters around the country and add your voices to the unified cry for Real Bread that is better for us, better for our communities and better for the planet.

In addition to the knowledge that you are playing a part in this essential cause, as a Real Bread Campaign member you will receive benefits including:

•    Four issues of True Loaf, the exclusive quarterly magazine
•    A membership card offering a wide range of discounts
•    Access to the members’ area of the Real Bread Campaign website, packed with additional extras
•    The Real Baker-e, an online community where you can find and share supportive advice, ideas and information
•    Invitations to Real Bread networking events, including The Rise of Real Bread on 14th November

Exclusive member offers secured around the country so far include a free eco bag entitling holders to 20% off two people booking a course at Bordeaux Quay; 10% off Real Bread from GAIL’s London bakeries; baker’s dozen loyalty cards for free loaves at The Old Farmhouse Bakery and Tigh Fuine; 10% off a course at Wild Yeast bakery; 10% off the mail order baker’s box from Artisan Bread Organic; half price membership of Local Action on Food or London Food Link and discounts on Real Bread from bakeries such as Cinnamon Square and Cotton's Craft Bakery.

For details of how to join, sign up to Breadcrumbs, the Real Bread Campaign monthly email newsletter.

Local Loaves for Lammas

4 August 2009
On 1st August, Real Bread Campaign supporters across the land enjoyed a Local Loaf for Lammas.

You can share pictures and news from your own Lammas activities in the Real Bread Campaign group on Flickr, at our Facebook group and with @realbreadon Twitter.

Find out more at the Local Loaf for Lammas page

Real Bread Campaign Wins The Lottery!

16 June 2009
The Real Bread Campaign is celebrating securing funding from the Big Lottery Fund's Local Food Scheme. To find out more read our press release

Processing Aids

19 May 2009
Click here to read a statement from the Real Bread Campaign on the possible use of unlabelled processing aids in some factory bread

Older news

New Real Bread Campaign says: "Use your loaf! Buy Real Bread"

26 November 2008
The Real Bread Campaign is being launched today with an appeal to consumers to use their loaf and buy Real Bread. A coalition of consumers, bakers and campaigners is joining together to launch the Real Bread Campaign and challenge the giant industrial baking companies that dominate the modern bread market. Read the press release to find out more

Real Bread championed at Schumacher College

September 2008
Real Bread advocate Andrew Whitley will be teaching a residential course at Schumacher College in Devon - alongside the founder of the Slow Food movement, Carlo Petrini. The course, entitled Real Food, Slow Food: Championing sustainable food, takes place from November 17 to 21, 2008. Participants will focus on the art of baking real bread and link this with a discussion on the ways our food system needs to be changed. Andrew Whitley will teach bread-making skills and explore with participants the ways in which a return to small-scale production would be beneficial. With Carlo Petrini, participants will look at broader food production issues within the context of the aims of the Slow Food movement.

The Real Bread Campaign is coming!

August 2008
The Real Bread Campaign had a successful second meeting in July, and has secured funding from the Sheepdrove Trust for a launch event to be held this autumn (date to be confirmed). The Real Bread Campaign would like to thank the Sheepdrove Trust for its generous support for this work.

Bread enthusiasts meet to plan Real Bread Campaign

November 2007
In November 2007, 25 bread enthusiasts, industry representatives and seasoned campaigners met to discuss the issues, need and aims of a Real Bread Campaign. It was agreed that Sustain (www.sustainweb.org) should recruit volunteer help to take the campaign to its next stage.

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Real Bread Campaign: The Real Bread Campaign finds and shares ways to make bread better for us, better for our communities and better for the planet. Whether your interest is local food, community-focussed small enterprises, honest labelling, therapeutic baking, or simply tasty toast, everyone is invited to become a Campaign supporter.

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Archived page

News archive

Campaign news archive to April 2015

Loaf tanning salon victory in Oz

WIN: Spelt by Roger Saul

WIN: Swallow This by Joanna Blythman

Real Bread Campaign office intern opportunity

WIN tickets to The School of Artisan Food Lectures 2015

Real Bread rules the roost again at the World Bread Awards

Survey prize draw

WIN!

Sourdough September events and competition

Prizes, discounts and more in True Loaf 20

UK shoppers at risk of a Great British Fake Off?

UK-made proving basket and Real Bread book to be won!

Real Bread bakeries vie to be crowned Britain’s best

Last minute Christmas gifts for loved ones...and the Real Bread Campaign!

Rising Up: our new therapeutic and social bread making report

The Real Bread Festival

Campaign members sweep the bread board at World Bread Awards

True Loaf magazine bumper prize competition

Young British Foodies' Real Bread winner

Support us on ebay for a chance to win £500!

Real Bread is Food for Life!

Cake & Bake Show - discount and lightning Twitter comp!

Knead to Know - back in print!

Exclusive early bird offer!

Crumb Together: Real Bread workshop for community cafes/enterprises

A wholegrain of truth?

Campaign office volunteer opportunity

We encourage applications from anyone with relevant skills and interests, but regret that we are unable to offer any payment or expenses beyond those outlined above; or assist with finding accommodation or with visa applications.

Real Bread get together

Real Bread on the box in Britain's Best Bakery

FREE Real Bread workshop for school teachers

Bake for good: We want to hear from you!

WIN Real Bread making courses and books!

If you’re not a Campaign member – what are you waiting for?!? JOIN US NOW!!

Real Bread winner: The Londoners’ Loaf

The first ever Real Bread Festival is here

Real Bread Campaign named BBC Food Awards finalist

Londoners' Loaf winner announcement at the Real Bread Festival

Factory loaf advertising: what standards?

The Londoners' Loaf: expert judges announced

Campaign office volunteer needed

Feeding Britain’s Future - Skills for Work Week

Win a baking class at The Cookery School at Braxted Park

The Londoners' Loaf competition

The Real Bread Campaign’s position on actions against GM wheat trials

True Loaf on Have I Got News For You

Open letter to all bakers in Britain

Bread not biofuel!

VAT rise plan is half-baked says Real Bread Campaign

Not in my loaf!

Salt: how low can you dough?

Wanted: maker of moving pictures

Campaign office volunteer needed

Gift membership launched: ideal for Christmas

Christmas hamper

Wanted: Great British bakers

WIN a baking course with Andrew Whitley worth £415!

Britain says: ‘hidden loaf additives are unacceptable’

Survey results

Campaign member competition: WIN a day baking sourdough with Dan Lepard worth £230

Salt: update

Real Bread: keeping below the salt to stay above par

Sourdough spokesman on Great British Food Cycle

Objecting to a GM wheat trial application

Win!

Many pappy returns (well, one)

* 50 out of the 69 people who took the blind taste test at the Campaign’s stand chose Real Bread.

Dame Kelly Holmes champions local bakeries

Time to plan your Local Loaves for Lammas

NB - This Competition is now closed. The winner will be announced at the Chorleywood Village Day on 9th July and available from realbreadcampaign.org as an ecard from 11th July.

This Competition has now closed but we're planning more for future issues of True Loaf.

This Competition has now closed but we're planning more for future issues of True Loaf.

New Real Bread Campaign says: "Use your loaf! Buy Real Bread"

Real Bread championed at Schumacher College

The Real Bread Campaign is coming!

Bread enthusiasts meet to plan Real Bread Campaign

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