Bakers according to BigBarn
We have been blogging about bread for over 12+ years, instead of including this information again please click on the underlined text within this page for the complete story in previous blogs.
We believe that Bakers are a huge asset for your sustainable, healthy, community. A community where local producers supply local people, shops, pubs and restaurants direct with products ranging from sourdough bread to artisan pastries. All local and same day fresh.
By selling direct bakers get a better price by cutting out middle men and you get better, fresher, aromatic, breads, cakes, fancy pastries, biscuits, tarts….. Low food miles, no plastic and better food security.
Perfect sourdough loaf made from organic stoneground flour
On our Local Food Map we have a wide variety of bakers, from home baked cake and biscuit makers to bakery chains baking in shop or from a central store.
One thing, we hope they all have in common is a mission to provide the full story behind the products sold, to get you enthused, as well as help build their sustainable food community with you as a valuable regular customer.
Valuable, not just through your food spend, but also from your positive feedback and buy-in to your community, instead of the profit focused supermarket.
Healthy bread
Bakers have experienced a resurgence in demand as more people recognised the health qualities of sourdough bread as well as having a go at baking over lockdown.
The ‘Perfect’ Baker, perhaps?
So what does the perfect baker look like (in my humble opinion)? And this is where I perhaps upset a few bakers!
Courgette & chocolate cake made from local courgettes
First of all bakers should be customer focused and provide advice, cooking tips and perhaps even courses. We think they need to completely differentiating themselves from the supermarkets, plastic free and perhaps even sell locally grown fruit and veg if there is no other local supplier.
Our “Crop for the Shop” initiative
Crop for the Shop can help the shop become the centre of the community by selling fresh and perhaps unusual fruit & veg grown by local people and schools. Some bakers have opened a cafe and can add a Crop for the Shop section giving customers contributing produce a credit note to spend in the shop. Potentially prices can be set 20% less than the supermarket and still give the shop and grower a good return.
Other attractions, “Cook-Share” initiative
If possible bakers can offer classes, such as sourdough making to help locals move away from high gluten dodgy bread, to fresh home made. They could even act as a venue for other local people to run a course or demonstration and why we set up our Cook-Share initiative. Please check it out and join in. We have found that most people who learn to bake bread do not continue regularly but do get the taste of good bread and prize their local baker
Local food map with Bakery icon
School links and education
We would love to see every baker linked to and supplying the local school where the kids grow food for the school kitchen and even the baker. Imagine kids insisting parents buy from the local baker!
How you can help
Please help your local baker become ‘perfect’. Most bakers suffer from a Catch 22 situation of not enough customers for it to grow into the perfect shop above.
So please catalyse the process and find and support your local baker using our Local Food Map and please tell them about the ideas above.
Also please tell your friends, if we all change our habits, to buying from our local food shops, we can build a more sustainable, healthier LOCAL food industry And by involving our schools, increase our food security and build more sustainable, healthier, caring food communities.
If your local meat producer/butcher is not on our map please email us here and we will add you to our monthly prize draw to win one of 4 £25 MarketPlace gift vouchers.