The annual, international celebration of additive-free loaves and the people who make them. 20 to 28 February 2021 / 19 to 27 February 2022
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As part of a charity, we need to demonstrate that our work is needed and beneficial.
After Real Bread Week (or you've run / taken part in at least one activity) please complete this short survey about what you did and how we could make improvements for the future.
Complete this survey at Survey Monkey
This survey ends on Sunday 7 March 2021.
"This is what a Real Bread baker looks like"
Each year, Balcony Shirts produces a limited run of exclusive t-shirts, aprons and mugs, making a doughnation to the Real Bread Campaign for each one sold.
Hurry: Only available 10 February - 10 March 2021!
See also: Year-round Real Bread gifts
Created and run by the Real Bread Campaign since 2010, #RealBreadWeek is the annual, international celebration of Real Bread and the people behind its rise.
We run it to focus and brighten the spotlight on our key work of encouraging and helping people to:
We also rattle the collection tin a bit harder for Sustain, the charity behind Real Bread Campaign.
Each year, bakeries, baking schools, mills, schools, care homes, youth and other community groups around the world bake special loaves and run classes and other activities.
Meanwhile countless people bake at home, some with their children other family members, colleagues or friends, and take to social media with photos of themselves with loaves they've baked or bought.
It's time to kick the additive-laden industrial loaf habit and support YOUR neighbourhood's Real Bread bakery!
Small, independent, locally-owned bakeries help to:
Some offer additional social benefits, from being a place where older people and those at risk of isolation can see a friendly face and stop for a chat, to those that are set up to offer training and employment opportunities for people facing one of a range of challenges.
NB Don't be fooled by so-called 'artisan' loaves turning up on supermarket shelves: always read the label. True artisan bakers don't use additives of any kind.
Seize the dough to take control of the food that you (and perhaps your family) enjoy!
Not only is making Real Bread great fun, it's also a very affordable way of avoiding the cocktail of additives that turn up in industrial loaf products. Some people find it therapeutic.
We're keen to see more children learning to make Real Bread, whether at home, nursery or in the classroom. It can also be a way of steering them towards healthier food - you'd be amazed at the number of children who 'don't like wholemeal' but love it when it was lovingly made by their own mitts.
NB Real Bread Week isn't about cakes or loaves raised with baking powder / soda, or just about sourdough bread. See our definition of Real Bread
The best way to support our charity's work is to join the Real Bread Campaign
You don't have to be a baker to join us - in fact, the majority of our supporters aren't.
Rates (unchanged since 2009) start from £22.50 a year, the equivalent of LESS THAN £2 A MONTH.
Supporter benefits you'll get to enjoy include our exclusive True Loaf magazine; and special offers on Real Bread ingredients, equipment, baking classes and more. Read more about why and how to join us.
Make a doughnation
If you'd like to make a one-off doughnation as well as / instead of joining us, you can do so here.
Help us to raise dough
Can your business make a special donation, or collect from your customers, during the week? Maybe you could send a percentage of your total sales, or just from a Real Bread Week loaf/class.
You can send what you raise to us by debit/credit card or PayPal payment via our doughnations page
NB You can't add Gift Aid to donations you collect from other people.
We'll be publishing a roll of honour of people who donate / raise over £100. If you'd prefer your name not to appear on the list, please let us know.
Can YOU help other people to celebrate Real Bread Week this year?
There are plenty of ways to help people in your local community enjoy Real Bread...and maybe even raise dough for the Campaign at the same time.
Whether online or face-to-face (where it's permitted, safe and appropriate to do so) you could organise a Real Bread:
...or maybe it's a simple as making a loaf as a Real Bread Week special or publishing a recipe on your website.
Basically, as long as it's in line with the aims of Real Bread Week, whatever works for you and your business / organisation!
Add the details to our calendar
Campaign supporters can login to download the Real Bread Week logo
The more the merrier
Perhaps you could involve a local community group such as a: school or nursery, youth club, retirement home, Scouts, Guides or other youth organisation, WI, farmers' market, grain network, Slow Food group, religious group.
During the pandemic, some Real Bread bakeries have been inviting customers to bake-it-forward. Maybe you could join them for Real Bread Week, at least?
The idea is simple: A customer buys two loaves - one for themself and one for the bakery to make for someone else in your local community who'll really benefit from delicious, nutritious Real Bread.
Maybe you do this on a specific loaf and it's up to you how you work out where the gift loaves go. Perhaps you: know of people who are elderly, isolated or on low/no income; could deliver the bread straight to a retirement home; treat NHS or other key workers; team up with a local charity or community that's working to keep people fed well.
Whatever Real Bread Week shenanigans you organise, please share what you do!
If you appear in, publish or spot any Real Bread Week media coverage we missed, please do send us the link or (if it's not online) a PDF, pic or scan of the article: realbread@sustainweb.org
We launched #WeAreRealBread in 2019 to reveal the many, varied and often hidden faces of the people behind the rise of Real Bread.
If you run a class or bakery team, see if they'd like to be in the photo, too. We also love to see cereal farmers and millers in action.
We'll be publishing a selection of #WeAreRealBread photos on our site, magazine and social media. If the copyright holder (often the photographer) and person/people pictured are happy for us to do so, please email it to realbread@sustainweb.org
Whenever you refer to Real Bread Week or use our hashtag (in print, social media or elsewhere), please do one or more of the following:
> Mention that it is run by the Real Bread Campaign
> Link to www.realbreadcampaign.org
> Tag us on social media
> Say how people can support our charity's work
We're @RealBread on Twitter and @RealBreadCampaign on Instagram and Facebook.
***This especially applies to unrelated businesses / PRs that have just jumped on our charity's #RealBreadWeek tag having found it on some awareness days / marketing calendar***
As part of a charity, we need to demonstrate that our work is needed and beneficial.
After Real Bread Week (or you've run / taken part in at least one activity) please complete this short survey about what you did and how we could make improvements for the future.
Complete this survey at Survey Monkey
This survey ends on Sunday 7 March 2021.
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