Sippets: April 2020
Recent crumbs of news from the world of Real Bread.
We’ve posted oodles of COVID-19 related articles, news items and information (not to mention new recipes) over the past few weeks. Here are a few more crumbs…
Boost for bakers in knead
Wire Monkey Shop owner Tyler Cartner, maker of the Real Bread Loaf Mark UFO lame, has set up the Bakers in Knead fund to give away $200 to a struggling baker each week. You can donate to the fund or, if you’re a baker in need a hand, apply by commenting with a purple heart on a Bakers In Knead post on @WireMonkeyShop’s Instagram feed.
Making a market difference
Despite food markets being declared an essential service, many have closed (or been shut) down since the start of the COVID-19 crisis. We at Sustain believe that local food markets are essential alternatives to supermarkets and should be supported to stay open or re-open. Please join us in urging your council to not only support small, local producers and retailers, but also the people in your local community who rely upon these places that make good food accessible. Here’s a sample letter to help you make yourself heard.
Speaking out
The Real Bread Campaign has fed into two recent UK governmental consultations. In response to a Defra review of the so-called 'fortification' of flour, once again we challenged the need for, and effectiveness of, adding token nutrients, rather than other public health measures. We also contributed to Sustain's submission to the EFRA inquiry on disruptions to food supply during the COVID-19 crisis and the government's response to them.
National loafers needed
Campaign supporter Steven Winter is asking fellow Real Bread bakers to bake a new national loaf for NHS staff, other frontline and hidden heroes, and people in need. If you run a bakery or mill and want to help make £1 loaves of wholemeal Real Bread available to people in your local community who need it most, please get in touch with Steven.
Got flour?
Having lost 100% of its business overnight, The Pudding Compartment has set up a social enterprise to help both struggling business owners, and shoppers who are struggling to buy flour, yeast and other ingredients. A Million Thanks is buying from bakeries, eateries and wholesalers that can’t use their stock and re-selling in retail bags. All profits all will be used to buy and distribute energy-boosting (SugarSmart, we hope) snacks for NHS frontline workers.
Bread heroes
Our friends at the World Bread Awards want to read your uplifting #BreadHero stories of bakers, millers and farmers going the extra mile right now. Examples include donating Real Bread to homeless people, and biking Real Bread out to elderly and isolated local people. In addition to weekly winners, an overall winner will be chosen in October. Tag your #BreadHero story @BreadAwardsUK or @BreadAwardsUSA on social media, or email it to info@worldbreadawards.com
PS - Don't forget to share your stories with us, too - see below.
Ale for alimentation
Speaking of friends, the tremendous Toast Ale-ers have created a meal deal with a difference. For every bottle or can of beer you buy through their online shop, they’ll provide a meal for someone in need. For at least 12 weeks, Toast Ale are donating their online shop profits to community feeding projects, meaning you’re helping to cover the cost of preparing and delivering food to people who need it most.
Thank you
We’re sending out huge gratitude to the lovely person has made a very generous, anonymous doughnation of £1000 towards our work. Like many charities, we’re seeing an (understandable) reduction in income, so we’re especially thankful to everyone who is still chipping in with doughnations (even a fiver helps) and annual subscriptions so that we can be there for you throughout, and beyond, this current crisis.
What’s your news?
Wherever you are on the planet, if you have something Real Bread related you’d like us to help you share, please email a couple of very short lines, including a link to where you have published full details, to us at: realbread@sustainweb.org
(We might not spot it if you just posted it on social media)
We have supporters in countries around the world and we'd particularly love to hear more from those of you outside the UK.
If you haven't done so already, please add your bakery or bakery school to the Real Bread Map, individual classes and events to our calendar, and your good food job vacancies to Sustain's Roots to Work site.
We might post news on social media, rather than here; give priority to paid-up Campaign supporters; and reserve the right not to publish at all.
Sippet: A small piece of bread, often fried or toasted, used as a garnish or to dip in things. The British crouton.
Published Thursday 23 April 2020
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.
