New Dates to Learn to Bake
We’ve got a couple of new dates for our popular Everyday Bread workshops.Β Β Held at The Hive on the corner of Stoneham Park, the workshops are an ideal introduction to baking your own bread at home. During the evening, we’ll prepare dough from scratch, making a couple of different breads, as well as enjoying a seasonal light meal together. Come as an individual and learn with other members of the community, or grab a few mates and make an evening of it together.
After the success of our Hot Cross Bun workshop, we’re also looking to put on some other specific breadmaking workshops. Maybe you want to learn to make bagels, or perhaps its rye bread you’d like to master. Let us know and we’ll try and get a workshop to match your wishes.
Temporary Closure
Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, we’re unable to bake for the next couple of weeks. We apologise for any inconvenience this will cause you and assure you we’re making every effort to resolve the problem as soon as we can.
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Despite not be able to bake our usual bread, we’re still able to lead our Bread Talk sessions at Hop 50+ next week. The Elephant Bike has now arrived (thanks everyone that voted for us at Brighton Soup), so Simon will be cycling down to Palmeira Square on Monday to work with a group, baking and chatting to support wellbeing.
Thank you for your support. We’ll be back baking as soon as we can.
One a Penny, Two a Penny, Hot Cross Buns
It’s sunny outside this morning and I’m baking the last test batch of Hot Cross Buns before they go on sale on Friday this week. For me this Easter bun indicates the start of Spring and a start to the sunnier months of the year. The coming of the sun and warmth of the Spring always gives my mental health a boost; everything is better with a bit of sunshine on it, isn’t it? Hot Cross Buns are also a good comforting food, bringing memories of childhood and the carefree life we mostly have as children. The combination of organic wholemeal and white flour, along with organic sultanas and mixed peel, flavoured with spices and orange zest, is an irresistable one.
Historically they were only available on Good Friday; with a 17th century bylaw in London making it illegal to sell this kind of bun on days other than Good Friday and Christmas Day. However, nowadays they seem to appear all year round. At Stoneham Bakehouse we’re only going to bake them for two Fridays (18th & 25th March), so if you are excited to try these delicious Easter buns, get your order in soon. Email orders@stonehambakehouse.org.uk, or phone 07786927110.
If you can’t wait, or want to bake your own but don’t know how, we’re also running another Hot Cross Bun workshop at The Hive on the evening of Monday 21st March. Starting at 7pm and finishing at 10pm, we bake a batch of buns from scratch, as well as baking some Italian Easter buns which are special to the Tuscan kitchen.
Whether you buy, or learn to bake them for yourself at our workshop on Monday 21st; why not let Stoneham Bakehouse help with your Hot Cross Buns this year. Let’s start Spring with a smile.
Bread Talk
We’re very pleased to say that we have a new project starting in April with Hop 50+ in Palmeira Square, Hove. Bread Talk has been funded by a grant from the Hedgecock Bequest, managed by Brighton & Hove City Council, and aims to give older people the chance toΒ bake and a chance to talk. By getting together, making some bread, and having a chat as we do, we hope to tackle isolation amongst our older people.
Of course loneliness and depression are not confined to older people, I know how it can be so debilitating for the young too, but it is a pressing issue for many due to changes that occur later in life which increase the risk of isolation. It is estimated that over one million people in the UK aged over 65 are lonely, and loneliness can be associated with poor physical and mental health. Whilst many older people have regular contact with medical professionals, there isn’t always the emotional connection found in friendships. Hop50+ offer a range of activities for those in their later life, giving them the chance to connect, be active, and share in activities with others. Our Bread Talk sessions will add to an already diverse list.
If you’re interested in baking and benefiting from the therapeutic nature of working with dough and having a chat, or know someone who might want to, then contact Impact Initiative Hop 50+ to secure a place. We look forward to a chance to bake and talk with you.
Brighton Soup & a Bike
On Friday last week, Simon pitched at Brighton Soup for a bike. For those who don’t know what Brighton Soup is, it’s a small scale community version of Dragon’s Den. Basically people pay Β£4 to listen to four pitches, have soup, and listen to some music. People vote, and the winning pitch gets the combined total of ticket sales for their specific project.
Stoneham Bakehouse were pitching for a bike to enable us to travel to different venues, taking bread and wellbeing to those who really need it. We were up against some really good projects; a Lego club for autistic adults, a friendship agency for those with learning difficulties, and a kids club for the underprivileged. Excitingly, Simon’s pitch won the vote and we’ll soon be able to get the bike. Thank you so much to all who voted for us. It’s humbling to know that people believe in our project, and having a bicycle will help us to fulfill our mission of bringing bread and wellbeing to all. So, expect to see a bike whizzing around Hove in the next few weeks. One of the brilliant things about the Elephant Bike we’re getting, is that for every bike sold in the UK, they send a bike to Malawi to be used for development projects.
