I usually hate January. It’s such a depressing month. All the Christmas adornments that have brightened and festooned the house have to be removed, leaving your rooms and walls bare and forlorn. There is constant drizzle, rain and cold outside. And as you glance down at your bathroom scales and sigh a big hurrumph, you also have to ponder how you are going to simultaneously reduce your waistline and the collection of chocolate goodies that have mounted up on the sideboard. So with no farmer’s markets for me until 7th February, I needed to find something exciting to kick start my year – and wow, did I find it! On 23rd and 30th of January, I was delighted to welcome my first Real Bread baker trainees to my home, to learn how to bake slow bread. For some reason, I thought it would be less stressful than preparing for a farmer’s market as there would be less bread to bake, but it was far more exhilarating than I could have imagined! I enjoyed every minute of it and judging by the the feedback that I received, all my students enjoyed it too and they have since gone forth and made their own Real Bread! I have made it clear to them all, that if they need any additional extra help, I am always at the end of an email of phone if they need advice.
If you would like to join in my little Real Bread revolution, I am taking bookings from May. Please visit my page Power to the Flour from Jo’s Loaves for more information, gift vouchers are available.
Next month, I hope to be able to post some more information about my bakery unit; so far, I have a working oven, two unplumbed sinks and an a raw floor. I am hoping for a wall-heater any day now, so that I can warm it up and paint the floor; then everything will hopefully follow.
FIRST FARMER’S MARKET OF THE YEAR IS THIS FRIDAY!! 7th FEBRUARY, AT OFFLEY VILLAGE HALL FROM 11 AM UNTIL 2PM. USE IT OR LOSE IT FOLKS!!
(It is also my Granny’s birthday and she’ll be 94. Happy Birthday Granny)!