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West Midlands

Herefordshire

Over the last 8 years baker Thierry Paulin has worked tirelessly at his bakery, La Parisienne, in Tewksbury. "Sometimes I think I could be anywhere, in France or Scotland, since all I seem to see are the walls of this bakery," he tells me. But at least the customers gain from that. Quietly, over the last 3 years, Thierry has been tweaking and testing a recipe for a 100% rye sourdough towards excellence, and now he knows it's really very good. "I'm very proud of this sourdough," he says, "It's taken a lot of work, but now the flavour of the grain stands out. I've tried to keep the flavour as pure as possible, using only rye flour, water leaven and salt". This loaf, and other classic breads and traditional viennoiserie, are produced fresh daily and delivered to health food shops and delicatessens in the Herefordshire area. Available from Ledbury Wholefoods, 82 The Homend, Ledbury (tel: 01531 632 889), or for stockists telephone the bakery direct on 01684 292 422

S. C. Price and Sons
7 Castle Street, Ludlow, Shropshire, SY8 1AS
Tel: 01584 872815 (Contact Deborah Cook)

We are small bakery, but a long (60 year) established company, with just 3 bakers supplying our one shop," says Peter Cook, one of the partners at Price and Son's. They also bake a dozen or more speciality breads, including organic, and all are traditionally made on the premises. Most of the flour used is sourced from Shipton Mill, and their main white dough uses a long 8 hour fermentation.

 

Winning the People's Choice Award for Best Malted Grain Loaf at the Ludlow Food Festival was Swifts Bakery of Ludlow. The exceptional taste of their "Shropshire Malt Loaf" is all down to hand blending different ground malts and malted grains from Edme into a complex flavour more akin to a fine ale than a standard granary loaf. Baker Robert Swift is the younger part of a father and son team at Richard E. Swift Ltd. that goes back over 5 generations. Founded in 1863, Richard's granddad still owns the original bakery at Gnosall in Staffordshire (though now a small grocers rather than a craft bakers).
29 High Street, Clee Hill, near Ludlow, Shropshire, SY8 3LZ, tel 01584 890003
Unit 5, Market Street Arc, Tenbury Wells, WR15 8BQ, tel 01584 811062
5 Parkways, Corve St, Ludlow, SY8 2PG, tel 01584 874767

 

 

East Midlands and Lincolnshire

Lincolnshire

I swear, this would be my dream bakery. Imagine having your own windmill, stonegrinding organic wheat, rye and spelt, then baking it in a beautiful Llopis woodfired oven (its the ease of loading, the wheel, the pouring of the water for the steaming, its smooth like the best swig of a good malt). That's what Mervyn Austin and his wife Marie-Christine have in Kirton-in-Lindsey, Lincolnshire. After founding European Bakeries in 1982, he stayed with the company until 1999, when he left to follow a yearning to have a beautiful artisan bakery and mill. When they saw the windmill advertised in a farming magazine, they jumped at the chance. Together with a small shop where they sell olive oils, pickles and local cheeses, the bakery is becoming the heart of the operation and produces a range of white, rye, spelt and wholegrain breads, many using a natural leaven Mervyn has nurtured from the local grain. True Loaf Bakery Ltd, Mount Pleasant Windmill, North Cliff Road, Kirton-in-Lindsey North Lincolnshire, DN21 4NH. Tel: 01652 640177 Fax: 01652 657897
www.trueloafbakery.co.uk
enquiries@mountpleasantwindmill.co.uk

 

North West England

Cheshire

Alan Harrison, at Harrisons Bakers and Confectioners in Cheshire, takes pride in his bakery by maintaining the tradition of letting dough work slowly during an initial fermentation (a step many bakers still omit, though far fewer than in the 1970's). Says Alan, "We try to stick to traditional methods, and keep away from any additives in our breads".

For Stockists, telephone Harrisons Bakers and Confectioners, Unit 5 Queens Court, Winsford, Cheshire CW7 2BD, Tel: 01606 591 444

Manchester

Slattery's, 190 Bury New Road, Whitefield, Manchester (Tel: 0161 767 9303)
enquiries@slattery.co.uk or www.slattery.co.uk Though John Slattery is an excellent baker, that talent is hidden behind his renowned skills as a chocolatier. Rightly famous and delectable.

Manchester's Barbakan Delicatessen, 67-69 Manchester Road, M21 9PW (0161 881 7053)

 

Yorkshire

West Yorkshire

Betty's Cafe & Tea Rooms, 1 Parliament Street, Harrogate, North Yorkshire (Tel: 01423 502746). Also has branches in York (tel: 01904 659142), Ilkley, and Northallerton

 

The North

Cumbria

In Melmerby, it is the Village Bakery. Founded by Andrew Whitley in 1976, this is the home of the immensley popular bakery, and is a tourist attraction itself. Renowned for Andrew's breadmaking courses the world over (for details go to www.breadmatters.com), it also houses an organic restaurant open from breadfast until 5pm. For details contact info@village-bakery.com

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Greggs the bakers, in the covered market, still make by hand the old Stotties. Large plate sized flat breads, about an inch thick, peeled onto the hot oven stones until brown and crisp, then flipped to toast the other side. Quite an event to watch, daily.

The bakery at the Café Royal is a good artisanal affair, run by baker Murray Rhind. Baking using flour from Shipton Mill, for crusty flavourful breads and traditional pastries. Cafe Royal, 8 Nelson Street, Newcastle-upon-tyne, NE1 5AW (tel: 0191 231 3000)

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