Greetings, bread fans!

This is the weekly newsletter from Loaf in Stirchley, keeping you abreast of our bakery and, once we can re-open it, our cookery school.

This week It’s the usual grab-bag of news. Ragu Time is getting closer, we’re off to the countryside next month, Tony sent us a picture of his loaf, and Artefact want your art.

But first, if you would like to pre-order your bread and pastries for the coming week, our website is now open.

We'll have plenty of bread and pastries on the shelves too, with lunches served from noon on weekdays. Scroll to the bottom for this week’s sourdough specials and lunch menu.

Our opening hours are:
Wednesday: 12-4
Thusday: 12-6
Friday: 12-4
Saturday: 9-1

Get your ragù orders in

Ragù Time, our cook-at-home pasta takeaway, is happening on Sunday 27 June. Please note that pre-orders close this Wednesday at noon. We’ll be making to order so be sure to get yours in!

We’ve adjusted the numbers, so all the dishes should be available if you order right now.

As we said last week, we’re really proud of our vegan pasta and are keen to see what others think, so why not give it a go and tell your vegan friends!

Field trip to Field Bakery

Phil has continued to dive deep into the the world of local and heritage grains, intrigued not just by their flavour but by the economic and social implications. This enthusiasm has infected the rest of us, so we’re taking a trip to Field Bakery in Somerset to find out more.

Because this means decamping the whole bakery team to the countryside, it’s going to affect our opening, so please be aware we’ll be closed on Wednesday 14th July.

We’re keen that what we learn feeds through the whole of Loaf, not just in the bread we bake but also the courses we teach and our whole approach to our supply chain. Watch for some subtle and not-so-subtle changes over the next year!

(Photo from the Field Bakery website)

Tony’s loaf

Here’s a loaf of bread baked by Tony, who went on one of our courses and has continued to bake every week. Thanks Tony! Looks delicious!

If you’ve baked a nice loaf and want to show it off, send a pic to info@loafonline.co.uk or via Instagram.

Artefact open call

Our good friends and future neighbours in the new co-op building, Artefact, have been in hibernation during the pandemic. The good news is they’re coming back to life this autumn with a major art exhibition about the history of the co-operative movement.

Before this they’re running an open call “for people of all ages, artistic experience and abilities” in Stirchley to contribute artworks on the seven co-operative principles. So if you’ve always fancied seeing your work on a gallery wall, now is your chance!

Full details on their website and this Twitter thread.

Lunches this week

This week's sourdough pizza is chargrilled aubergine, tomato, chilli, basil, ricotta and mozzarella (V) on sale Wed to Fri.

The soup pot will be serving the following with a slice of sourdough bread:
Wed: Tarka daal curry (Ve).
Fri: Potato, spinach and chickpea curry (Ve).

Thursday's focaccia sandwich is beetroot hummus, roasted courgette, fennel slaw and hazelnut dukkah (Ve) with optional feta cheese (V).

Savoury snacks include our famous sausage rolls and vegetable rolls, available all week, plus ham & cheese and walnut pesto & cheese croissants on Thursday and Friday.

Lunches are made fresh every day for 12 noon. Our menu for the week is on the website here.

Sourdough specials

We brought back the Saturday sourdough specials recently and want to shout about them a bit more.

This week, if you get to the bakery in time, we have a date and walnut white sourdough and a caraway and molasses rye.

No reservations we’re afraid – only early birds catch these delicious worms! [Ew – that metaphor needs work - Ed]