A grandfathers influence – the nurturing and making of an artisan baker.
As Father’s Day fast approaches I’ve been doing a little reflection, thinking about how my bakery journey started.
It all started with my grandfather, who was himself a baker. I remember the early morning starts, the smell of freshly baked bread, the deliveries around the village and nearby valleys and my grandfather’s numerous chats with his customers. It was certainly a happy childhood, and the bakery was central to that, which is why me and my brothers and sisters would take any opportunity we could to sneak off and join our grandfather in his bakery.
Cumbrian’s may still recall Ambleside’s once bustling Central Cafe, right opposite then the local bus station, also home to my grandfather’s bakery. For those of you that don’t, it was a lively community cafe, always buzzing and humming with the constant and reassuring sounds of chatter and laughter.
It was a place where locals and visitors alike would exchange thoughts on the best places to visit, enjoy a meal, and chat about things to do and explore in the Lakes. The interesting thing is years later my own bakery at Plumgarth’s has exactly the same atmosphere and vibe.
The most important ingredient we share on a daily basis is the generosity of spirit. We take pride in providing a good old-fashioned level of service, perhaps all too often associated with how things used to be, but in our view that certainly shouldn’t be the case.
You see it’s something that was instilled in me from an early age. My grandfather’s life lessons were always broad and in most cases to the point. From the importance of truly heartfelt hospitality, to a simple Cumbrian welcome and a hard-working attitude were all important lessons to be learned.
A bakers life is far from predictable, my daughter would say that no day is the same, and certainly living a varied life keeps it exciting. Though one thing is for sure the pandemic was a little too exciting.
The one thing that I’ve learned, and I’ve instilled in my family is that the secret to a happy bakery and a happy life is kindness. Every loaf we create, nurture and develop is with someone’s breakfast, lunch and supper in mind and as a result the most important critic is each and every one of our customers, theirs is the opinion I value the most.
Our conversations on a Sunday morning inevitably turn to all those eating our bread.
We imagine them diving into their breakfast feasts, tucking into stunning baguettes as part of a little alfresco lunch with friends or clearing their supper plates with a hunk of bread, to mop up that last little bit of sauce. These are the very best of bakery imaginings and without doubt they illicit the very best of feelings – something that my grandfather taught me to appreciate.
He instilled in me that it was important to be a proud baker, to take pride in all you produce, to understand why you’re developing a new recipe and who it’s for it a relationship process. For example using organic flour is all about flavour, well-being and traceability. There’s a direct connection between the customer, us, the baker, our millers and the farmer who nurtured the crop from seed. You might say that this process is the bakers why…
For me one of the highlights of being in business is linked to the choices we make, and reasoning underpinning every loaf. It’s often not until you get older that you realise what matters the most and loving what you do is essential. And that’s especially true being a sourdough baker because it’s all about time and patience. With this knowledge, each and every harvest has the potential to deliver new sourdough characteristics and flavours to explore – This unpredictability is what all artisans adore about baking.
My 60th year is looming, yet I still feel that I’ve really only just begun my journey as a baker, artisan and imparter of knowledge. Each and every day is a gift to use as best we can, and in my view learning bake by bake is the only way for a baker to even begin the dream to perfect their craft.
You see it’s important to give yourself time to learn. Simply put every day is a school day. All too often the voices of our past remind us to be alert to all those life lessons we’ve experienced because it’s so easy to lose track and run off course, which is why for some it’s important to remind yourself of why you do what you do and how you do it.
That said I’ve always been fortunate in that I’m like my grandfather, true to my style and unwavering in my quest for perfection, never distracted by what others are doing, nor confused by another’s approach to baking, simply true to myself and to my values.
Don’t get me wrong, I will devour information with outright enthusiasm, especially when it come to a seminal bakery article or book. After all words need to be devoured, they enhance our understanding and add depth to our knowledge and reasoning they help us develop and grow and reaffirm what we know and help us understand what we don’t.
All too often we don’t seek to learn, and we should, if like me you want to question, to develop, to grow and enjoy a shared experience why don’t you join our baking family and embark on your own journey of discovery?
Join me in my home kitchen on one of my sourdough masterclasses and share in a little knowledge to help you become a better baker. Let’s exchange ideas virtually in these uncertain times from the comfort of our respective homes. Sharing knowledge, answering frustrations, eliminating all the things that hold you back as a baker. I’ll be honest and open and help you to grow and to learn just as my grandfather instilled knowledge in me, things that you’ll never discover in any cookery book.
What’s more we’ll organise everything for you, including your kit, your ingredients and the teacher. All you have to do is pop on an apron, click a link and prepare to enjoy a day with other like-minded people.
There’s no doubt friendships will form; loaves will be baked and all in the comfort and ease of your own home.
Happy Fathers Day
To find out more simply visit https://lovinglyartisan.com/learn/ and join in with a fantastic learning experience designed to help you become a better baker.
Aidan
Photography Artisans & Co Ailish Adams and Catherine Connor
