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Growing and baking our daily bread locally

  • by JW

“Changing the way we think about bread” [Andrew Whitley of Bread Matters]

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Radio 4’s Sunday morning wander down to the farm looked at growing grain for bread: On Your Farm – A Batch Made in Heaven – BBC Sounds

Bread campaigner Andrew Whitley has started up a project north of the border: Our people – Scotland The Bread

He started campaigning and winning accolades some time ago: Bread Matters – Bread Matters

It’s very much about thinking differently about this staple: Cereal Offending – changing the way we think about bread – Bread Matters

Much of our grain is grown for animal food: Majority of European crops feeding animals and cars, not people – Greenpeace European Unit

[Although we have to be careful with the statistics: Only a small % of what cattle eat is grain. 86% comes from materials humans don’t eat. — Sacred Cow]

Much of the grain grown in the Sid Valley is destined for biofuel: Biofuel – a critical assessment – Vision Group for Sidmouth

Could East Devon look to Andrew Whitley’s latest project – and consider the local production of grains for human consumption?

There are such projects happening…

There is Sidbury Mill:

Set within nearly 18 acres, the land includes mature woodland, a river walk, two fenced paddocks and productive arable land, on which the wheat for the mill is currently grown. Acquire a historic working watermill – Property

And there is Otterton Mill:

Today, Otterton Mill grinds local, organic grains into flour just as it did all those centuries ago. You can take a bread baking course… Oh…. you can also buy FLOUR! Otterton Mill, Making Flour Since 1068 and explore – Otterton Mill

All very inspiring! Learning where bread comes from in one of Britain’s oldest working mills – Clinton Devon Estates

Sidmouth has some excellent bakers with excellent locally-made (and locally-sourced) breads: (20+) Vinnicombes Bakery | Sidmouth | Facebook and Browns Kitchen Bakery | Sidmouth Devon and The Upper Crust, Sidmouth | Bakeries – Yell