Back to Normal
Summer Break
We’ll be taking an extended summer break at the start of August, returning back in September with all our services operating. Like many businesses we have been impacted by the need to socially distance, staff illness and self isolations, and this has had a knock on effect on our plans to train and take on some essential new volunteers. With this in mind we’ve taken the decision to close our production baking a week or so earlier than our usual summer break in order to give us the opportunity to deliver some essential community workshops, host staff training, and in addition carry out some essential maintenance on the Bakehouse itself.
Taking a break will also enable us to recharge our batteries ready for the resumption of all of our groups, workshops, and usual baking times in September. We take wellbeing of staff and the community seriously, and the last few months have been exhausting at times. We’re very excited to be able to come back to a full programme of events in September, refreshed and ready to go.
In the meantime we’ll be baking as usual this week, with Thursday, Friday, and Saturday bakes. So, pop by and stock up on some of our delicious bread.
Baking & Bereavement
Stoneham Bakehouse are really excited to announce a new venture with Sibling Link – Baking and Bereavement – a project to help those who have been bereaved and connect with others in the same boat.
BAKING & BEREAVEMENT is a new initiative we’re developing with the fabulous team at Sibling Link, and funded by Sussex Community Foundation. The project will be offering those bereaved by suicide the opportunity to learn a new skill in baking; whilst sharing with others who are living with, and totally understand this brutal kind of grief.
Feeling understood and talking about common experiences can help to lessen feelings of stigma and isolation and many other complicated emotions experienced by those bereaved by suicide.  
Both Stoneham Bakehouse and Sibling Link team member will guide and facilitate those who attend. If you have been bereaved by suicide and would like to join – we have limited spaces available. Please email info@siblinglink.co.uk for more details.
Real Bread Week (Feb 20-28)
At Stoneham Bakehouse we’re committed to producing real bread; that is bread without the addition or use of processing aids or other artificial additives. We use organic flour from Shipton Mill in Gloucestershire and buy many of our ingredients from Infinity Foods to ensure they are ethically produced. We very much support the work of the Real Bread Campaign; part of the charity Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming. The Real Bread Campaign fights for better bread in Britain. It’s mantra is “We want everyone to have the chance to choose Real Bread“, and we at Stoneham Bakehouse share this aim. Starting today they are celebrating their annual Real Bread Week, and we’ll be doing our part to spread the Real Bread word too.Â
We’ll be working with the brilliant Sussex Bake Down team to provide their bakers with a basic breadmaking workshop via Zoom. Like Stoneham Bakehouse their bakes are all produced by volunteers, with Sussex Bake Down’s cakes, biscuits, loaves and other delicious things heading to the West Blatchington & Hangleton Food Bank, as well as local NHS staff. It’s a great project we’re looking to support into the future.Â
We’ll also be continuing to support the partipants on our Bread Shed project. Thanks to the funding we recently received from the Homity Trust, we can keep this vital project going. Though we’re not able to meet in person and bake together, the group has been meeting virtually. Via video we’ve shared recipes, chatted, and stayed connected. During this tough time, it has been a real help to people to have their weekly Zoom meetings and virtual bakes.Â
As a social enterprise we use the profits from the sale of our bread and workshops to support and fund these projects. So every loaf, bagel, bun, workshop, apron or tote bag you buy helps us to nourish the community. It helps us to be a community supported bakery. It helps us make a difference to the wellbeing of the community.
And if you’re a baker wanting to get started in the world of sourdough, do pop in and get yourself a bit of our sourdough starter. We love seeing other people baking and enjoying what Real Bread brings to people’s lives.
We’re Continuing to Bake
