Coming up next week… our Shellfish course

Seafood Two: Shellfish course

This Wednesday 23rd October – 6.30pm to 9.30pm.

Being one of the furthest cities in the UK from the coast it’s not surprising that so many of us in Birmingham love seafood but don’t know where to start when it comes to shellfish preparation. It’s a forgotten food skill that our coastal ancestors would have passed down through generations, but in recent years we’ve begun to lose.

Seafood Two: Shellfish. Photo: Jane Baker

Here’s how the evening will look…

Shellfish Masterclass

  • Clean, prepare, and cook a range of shellfish such as crabs, oysters, and lobster.
  • Master how to cook beautiful Asian & European style shellfish dishes.
  • Take away tips and recipes to create the magic at home in your own kitchen.
  • Under the expert guidance of fish expert Lap-fai Lee

Evening Meal included
Enjoy a fantastic shellfish feast such as crab linguine, dressed oysters, and chargrilled squid, at the end of the evening.

Receive a Loaf Loyalty Card for future discounts on Real Bread in the shop.

Seafood Two: Shellfish. Photo: Jane Baker

Afterwards why not take a visit to to the fantastic wholesale fish market in Birmingham city centre brimming with a wide range of fish and shellfish, and begin to create the magic again at home.

For more info and to book click here Seafood Two: Shellfish

And if f you like the sound of this why not try our Seafood One: Fish course two

Coming up next week… our Shellfish course

Seafood Two: Shellfish course

This Wednesday 23rd October – 6.30pm to 9.30pm.

Being one of the furthest cities in the UK from the coast it’s not surprising that so many of us in Birmingham love seafood but don’t know where to start when it comes to shellfish preparation. It’s a forgotten food skill that our coastal ancestors would have passed down through generations, but in recent years we’ve begun to lose.

Seafood Two: Shellfish. Photo: Jane Baker

Here’s how the evening will look…

Shellfish Masterclass

  • Clean, prepare, and cook a range of shellfish such as crabs, oysters, and lobster.
  • Master how to cook beautiful Asian & European style shellfish dishes.
  • Take away tips and recipes to create the magic at home in your own kitchen.
  • Under the expert guidance of fish expert Lap-fai Lee

Evening Meal included
Enjoy a fantastic shellfish feast such as crab linguine, dressed oysters, and chargrilled squid, at the end of the evening.

Receive a Loaf Loyalty Card for future discounts on Real Bread in the shop.

Seafood Two: Shellfish. Photo: Jane Baker

Afterwards why not take a visit to to the fantastic wholesale fish market in Birmingham city centre brimming with a wide range of fish and shellfish, and begin to create the magic again at home.

For more info and to book click here Seafood Two: Shellfish

And if f you like the sound of this why not try our Seafood One: Fish course two

Indian Flatbread Workshop – with Gujarati food expert, Mohini Howard

Indian Flatbread Workshop – Weds 6 November 2013, 6.30pm to 9.30pm. 

This is a one -off workshop, so places are limited and book fast.

If you were here for our Pop-up Paratha event back in September, you’ll remember how tasty  Mohini’s massala stuffed indian flatbreads were. So, with such interest, we’ve decided to put on an Indian Flatbread course to teach you the secrets too.

Mohini Howard pop-up paratha event

Returning as our guest tutor Gujarati food expert, Mohini Howard, will take us through making a basic wheat-based dough, which will be rolled by us into chapattis, puris and parathas. We’ll also be making Mohini’s great potato massala stuffing for parathas. We’ll then move on to a maize flour paste which is turned into a Gujarati classic – rotla.  We’ll then finish up by cooking our chosen breads and sharing them together with Mohini’s killer daal and if you’re lucky some homemade chai.

Dosa, the classic south Indian rice-based flatbread is not covered on this course, but has a course all of it’s own – check it out here.

The Indian Flatbread Workshop Costs £50 (including VAT). 

For more information and to book click here

Pop-up Paratha event

Indian Flatbread Workshop – with Gujarati food expert, Mohini Howard

Indian Flatbread Workshop – Weds 6 November 2013, 6.30pm to 9.30pm. 

This is a one -off workshop, so places are limited and book fast.

If you were here for our Pop-up Paratha event back in September, you’ll remember how tasty  Mohini’s massala stuffed indian flatbreads were. So, with such interest, we’ve decided to put on an Indian Flatbread course to teach you the secrets too.

Mohini Howard pop-up paratha event

Returning as our guest tutor Gujarati food expert, Mohini Howard, will take us through making a basic wheat-based dough, which will be rolled by us into chapattis, puris and parathas. We’ll also be making Mohini’s great potato massala stuffing for parathas. We’ll then move on to a maize flour paste which is turned into a Gujarati classic – rotla.  We’ll then finish up by cooking our chosen breads and sharing them together with Mohini’s killer daal and if you’re lucky some homemade chai.

Dosa, the classic south Indian rice-based flatbread is not covered on this course, but has a course all of it’s own – check it out here.

The Indian Flatbread Workshop Costs £50 (including VAT). 

For more information and to book click here

Pop-up Paratha event

Birmingham Post Review – Forage and Cook Course

If you missed it, last week we had another wonderful piece of press coverage in the Birmingham Post, thanks to feature writer Mary Griffin.

Mary, who rolled up her foraging sleeves and joined us, alongside other course participants including Halo Garrity, Rob Walker, Dave Smith, Chrissa Murrell and her husband Stu, discovered that you really can find bounteous edible wild foods on your urban doorstop. Even in Stirchley.

Birmingham Post, 25 Sept 2013

Birmingham Post, Life  (25 September 2013, page 11)

Mary’s list of wild foods found in Stirchley near Loaf included:

  • Hawthorn (whose berries can be used in a hedgerow jelly)
  • Sumac (the red conical flowers can be dried and sprinkled on a salad)
  • Wild cherries (Tom tells us where to look out for them around Birmingham)
  • Meadowsweet growing in the long grass (a little sprig can infuse tea or cream)
  • Horseradish (which we dig up a thumb-sized chunk of)
  • Nettles (Tom shows us which bits to pick and which to avoid) and vetch (with a peppery, rockety flavour)
  • Yarrow (a good substitute for lavender or rosemary)
  • Dead nettles (no sting and you can suck the nectar out of the flowers)
  • Himalayan balsam (a non-native invasive plant with tasty pink flowers)
  • Rowan (which makes a good jelly mixed with apples)
  • Wood avens (which can make dandelion and burdock if you infuse the root)
  • Rosehips (which make good syrup)

…as well as mint, sloes, elderberries, blackberries and hazelnuts.

Amazing really. And that’s just a small sample of hundreds of wild foods that can be found locally, and in cities across the UK.

Tom Baker leading the Forage and Cook course. Photo by Jane Baker

For more information and to book on any of our courses visit the Loaf Cookery School page

To read the review online visit the press section on our About Us page and click on the link to the Birmingham Post. Or if you have a printed copy, it’s on page 11 of the Life section.

 

Birmingham Post Review – Forage and Cook Course

If you missed it, last week we had another wonderful piece of press coverage in the Birmingham Post, thanks to feature writer Mary Griffin.

Mary, who rolled up her foraging sleeves and joined us, alongside other course participants including Halo Garrity, Rob Walker, Dave Smith, Chrissa Murrell and her husband Stu, discovered that you really can find bounteous edible wild foods on your urban doorstop. Even in Stirchley.

Birmingham Post, 25 Sept 2013

Birmingham Post, Life  (25 September 2013, page 11)

Mary’s list of wild foods found in Stirchley near Loaf included:

  • Hawthorn (whose berries can be used in a hedgerow jelly)
  • Sumac (the red conical flowers can be dried and sprinkled on a salad)
  • Wild cherries (Tom tells us where to look out for them around Birmingham)
  • Meadowsweet growing in the long grass (a little sprig can infuse tea or cream)
  • Horseradish (which we dig up a thumb-sized chunk of)
  • Nettles (Tom shows us which bits to pick and which to avoid) and vetch (with a peppery, rockety flavour)
  • Yarrow (a good substitute for lavender or rosemary)
  • Dead nettles (no sting and you can suck the nectar out of the flowers)
  • Himalayan balsam (a non-native invasive plant with tasty pink flowers)
  • Rowan (which makes a good jelly mixed with apples)
  • Wood avens (which can make dandelion and burdock if you infuse the root)
  • Rosehips (which make good syrup)

…as well as mint, sloes, elderberries, blackberries and hazelnuts.

Amazing really. And that’s just a small sample of hundreds of wild foods that can be found locally, and in cities across the UK.

Tom Baker leading the Forage and Cook course. Photo by Jane Baker

For more information and to book on any of our courses visit the Loaf Cookery School page

To read the review online visit the press section on our About Us page and click on the link to the Birmingham Post. Or if you have a printed copy, it’s on page 11 of the Life section.

 

One year on: ode to the wood-fired oven

The Good Old Days…

Back in 2009 Tom began Loaf, baking bread in a wood-fired oven in our garden in South Birmingham for our neighbours and friends. Seeing this picture, below, again reminds me of the smoky taste and smell of the bread Tom used to bake, and the way it all started. Authentic, fresh, Real Bread. Celebrating our first anniversary on the high street this week (8 Sept 2013), we owe the success of Loaf Community Bakery and Cookery School to those early days baking in the garden, to the support of local people, a growing staff team and to Tom’s determination. And it has been worth it.

Earth Oven Course

 

Earth-Oven Building Weekend – 28th – 29th September 2013

It’s really very simple, cheap building an earth-oven once you know how. Our final Earth Oven Building Weekend for the season is coming up on Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th September 2013. So, if you missed out on our previous courses and fancy a little dabble at making your own you’re just about in time. We only have a few places left.

The course is great for both garden, food and bushcraft enthusiasts, and definitely for those that don’t mind getting their hands dirty. No experience is needed, we’ll teach you everything – just a willingness to get stuck in. You can cook practically anything in a wood-fired oven, from bread and cakes to casseroles and pizza, all with that unique smoky taste. And there really is nothing quite like it.

For more info and to book visit our Loaf Cookery School page

Jane

 

Below: The good old days – Tom featured with our earth-oven in Virgin Train Hotline Magazine (May 2010). More early Press coverage  here.

Virgn Hotline Magazine May 2010

 

Forgotten Food Skills: Shellfish

Being one of the furthest cities  in the UK from the coast it’s not surprising that so many of us in Birmingham love seafood but don’t know where to start when it comes to shellfish preparation. It’s a forgotten food skill that our coastal ancestors would have passed down through generations, but in recent years we’ve begun to lose.

Seafood Two: Shellfish

Join fish expert Lap-fai Lee for a hands-on evening introduction to cooking shellfish, including  crabs, oysters, and lobster. Identify, prepare and cook shellfish in a range of Asian & European style dishes, and discover how quick & enjoyable eating shellfish in your own home can be. The evening course will include a shellfish feast including crab linguine, dressed oysters, and chargrilled squid.

Our next course is on Wednesday 23rd October from 6.30pm to 9.30pm.

For more info and to book click here

Afterwards why not take a visit to to the fantastic wholesale fish market in Birmingham city centre brimming with a wide range of fish and shellfish, and begin to create the magic again at home.

Photo: Jack Spicer-Adams

Seafood themed CANeat pop-up dining experience.

 

 

 

 

Loaf, Building Community Through Food

As a social enterprise Loaf was set up with the purpose to promote good food and healthy living in communities and build community through food . This means putting our profits towards social projects, primarily in our local community.

This month we welcomed year 6 children and parents from our local Stirchley Community School on Pershore Road to Loaf Cookery School for their very own bread making workshop. The afternoon was a huge success and as teacher Karen Sweeney said “They had an amazing time! The children they were raving about it!”. With three year 6 workshops in total, and comments shared that it was one of the best workshops we’ve ever been to, we’ll take that as a thumbs up! In June we also hosted an enjoyable bread workshop with adults who are deaf and hard of hearing through the work of national charity deafPLUS.

For more Stirchley Community School workshop photos visit their school website – you may even spot a few familiar local faces.

Stirchley Community School Bread Workshop at Loaf
Year 6 pupils, parents & teachers from Stirchley Community School enjoy making bread at Loaf
Parents & children from Stirchley Community School at Loaf
Parents and children from Stirchley Community School at Loaf

We also offer occasional work placements to individuals with a passion to develop a professional career in baking, which this month included Megan Jones who is studying for a Diploma in Artisan Baking at the prestigious School of Artisan Food.

Megan Jones on student placement at Loaf from The School of Artisan Food
Megan Jones on student placement at Loaf from the prestigious School of Artisan Food

Loaf Goes Wild

Since our high street opening in September 2012 Loaf has been involved in some inspiring and innovative food collaborations, from baking Art Bread with Eastside Projects, to Beer Bread with Stirchley Wines and Spirits and Brewdog Birmingham using a range of their selected bottled beers. Our most recent collaboration has taken Tom even further afield, to combine wild food with Real Bread.

Forest Baking

Over the years Tom has met many inspiring real food evangelists including Chris Bax, the founder of Taste The Wild. It is here in their 18 acre woodland in Yorkshire that Tom recently lead a hugely successful open air bread making course. Going back to nature, this course with a difference included cooking in a wood-fired oven without any electricity or running water, and with endless wild forest ingredients to choose from. Transforming Loaf’s usual bread making course to this rural location, the results were equally impressive. A unique and enjoyable collaboration to be remembered, and hopefully repeated.

Here are some forest bread baking pics, by Jane Baker:

Bread Making course at Taste the Wild in Yorkshire
Loaf bread making course in the 18 acre Yorkshire woodland home of Taste the Wild
Shaping the dough before proving. Copyright Jane Baker
Tom demonstrates how to shape the dough before proving
Chris Bax (centre) of Taste the Wild. Copyright Jane Baker
Chris Bax (centre), expert wild food forager and founder of Taste the Wild
Loaf course participants. Copyright Jane Baker
Loaf course participants get stuck in to making real bread under canvas at Taste the Wild
Fresh pine needles, one of the added foraged ingredients for making wild bread
Fresh pine needles, one of the added foraged ingredients for making wild bread
fougasse before baking. Copyright Jane Baker
A fougasse before going into the wood-fired oven
Earth oven bread baking. Copyright Jane Baker
Earth oven bread baking in the forest.

New Round of Kitchen Essentials Dates

We’ve recently added a new round of dates for our series of Kitchen Essentials courses, between July and September 2013, so if you’ve been looking for a cookery course with Loaf, there might be one in there just for you.

Kitchen Essentials

Kitchen Essentials is a series of short evening workshops, designed to quickly improve your cooking skills in particular areas and make you a better, faster, and more efficient home cook. The series is broken down into bite-size chunks that you can dip in and out of depending on what areas of cooking you’d like to learn or improve on.

July – September 2013 dates are as follows (spaces available – first come first served)

  • Knife Skills: Tuesday 23rd July
  • Stocks and Sauces: Tuesday 30th July
  • Cooking Vegetables: Tuesday 6th August
  • Herbs & Spices: Tuesday 13th August
  • Beans, Pulses & Grains: Tuesday 10th September
  • Cooking Meat: Tuesday 11th June, Tuesday 17th September

Like all our courses at Loaf Cookery School, Kitchen Essentials workshops are very hands-on, and we guarantee you won’t leave hungry, but you will leave with a host of new skills to get perfecting at home. All workshops are led by chef and baker Dom Clarke, run on a week day evening from 7-9pm, and are priced at £30 per person (except ‘Cooking Meat’ which is £40).

For more information about each course visit: www.loafonline.co.uk/shop/kitchen-essentials/

ACE Leadership Programme Visit to Loaf

Arts Council England, with the Black Country Living Museum, is funding a 9 month programme to transform the futures of twelve museums. As part of their leadership training programme twelve successful museum applicants will visit Loaf to learn about the real life development of food social enterprises as part of a continuing grassroots food renaissance.

Alongside Tom, the programme is also working with, amongst others, famous sculptor Anthony Gormley, Andrew Lovett, Chief Executive Black Country Living Museum and Michael Day, CEO Historic Royal Palaces, so it looks like applicants will be in for a real treat.

Their deadline for senior museum professionals to apply is 14 June. For more information visit: www.museumresilience.com/faculty-page/

Loaf Cookery School
A Bread: Back to Basics course at Loaf Cookery School

Earth oven Building Course – 15 & 16 June

Sunny weather this weekend certainly brought the whiff of BBQs and outdoor cooked food in the air. For us this means firing up our wood fired oven in the garden and inviting friends and family round for a relaxing evening. Whilst we often make wood fired pizzas, and enjoy a glass of wine in the garden, we’ve been know to prepare a slow cooked roast too, plus sweet treats as the heat of the oven cools down, and even leave a meringue cooking overnight, ready for the next day.

If the idea of cooking in your own garden takes your fancy, our next weekend Earth Oven Building course is coming up on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16th June in Stirchley at the home of our baker Dom.

As well as choosing suitable materials, you’ll learn how to build the oven floor, and construct and shape  the thick oven walls using cob,  cut a door and decorate the outside. You’ll also learn how to cook in and maintain your oven. Top notch grub will be provided for lunch and snacks on both days as well as drinks throughout the day.

For more information visit the Loaf Cookery School pages on our website.

Earth Oven Course

 

Earth oven Building Course – 15 & 16 June

Sunny weather this weekend certainly brought the whiff of BBQs and outdoor cooked food in the air. For us this means firing up our wood fired oven in the garden and inviting friends and family round for a relaxing evening. Whilst we often make wood fired pizzas, and enjoy a glass of wine in the garden, we’ve been know to prepare a slow cooked roast too, plus sweet treats as the heat of the oven cools down, and even leave a meringue cooking overnight, ready for the next day.

If the idea of cooking in your own garden takes your fancy, our next weekend Earth Oven Building course is coming up on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16th June in Stirchley at the home of our baker Dom.

As well as choosing suitable materials, you’ll learn how to build the oven floor, and construct and shape  the thick oven walls using cob,  cut a door and decorate the outside. You’ll also learn how to cook in and maintain your oven. Top notch grub will be provided for lunch and snacks on both days as well as drinks throughout the day.

For more information visit the Loaf Cookery School pages on our website.

Earth Oven Course

 

Loaf reaches new heights

This month Stirchley featured in the May edition of Brussels Airline’s bthere magazine.

Described as a ‘destination for creativity, comedy and exciting cuisine’, it included us at Loaf and celebrated other local community food and arts initiatives such as Stirchley Community Market. Stirchley seems to be making a name for itself – not only in the UK, but now internationally!

To read more visit the be the b there website or download the full magazine as a pdf. We’re on page 74.

Brussels Airlines bthere Magazine - May 2013
Brussels Airlines bthere Magazine – May 2013