Tuesday, 16 July 2013
The Bakehouse - bringing bread, bikes and bods together
Who are they?
They are a Workers’ Co-op pedalling the first community bakery in the Upper Calder Valley, the bakehouse. They have told the HebWeb that they bake better bred bread - Real Bread as defined by the Real Bread movement (slowly fermented, organic, locally sourced ingredients, additive and enzyme free). Within their enterprise they have qualified and experienced bakers and other workers all committed to community supported baking.
There's currently 6 in the bakehouse co-op - Kirsty McCaskill, Chris Greaves, Claire Hendrith, Pete Murray, Clare Maguire and Gill Dickson - all committed to supporting the local food economy, using sustainable means and community networks to distribute their bread.
They came together with a shared vision to reignite the dwindling art of breadmaking and to share and promote their passion for real bread - locally sourced, organic ingredients, handmade and slowly fermented. They say their bread is refreshingly different from bread stocked by supermarkets who, they claim, often don't give thought to the food miles, packaging and unnecessary ingredients in their produce.
They'll be distributing their bread through community bread hubs - local schools, pubs, shops, community centres. These will be places where drop off pre-ordered loaves may be collected. That way, they bake and deliver to order.
What do they want to do?
They're passionate about the way in which they make their bread available throughout the community and want to minimise the carbon footprint, not only in the way the bread is produced but also the way it is delivered.
They've recently ordered a cargo bike as a delivery and sales vechicle to help distribute Real Bread and other delicious baked delights throughout the communities in and around Hebden Bridge.
They need a super-duper power assisted pedal bike to help get up the steep valley sides! They have been checking out local cycle routes and delivery points in and around Hebden Bridge and are keen to use pedal power. Not only is it green and healthy but allows more interactivity with customers
The cargo bike will also be a mobile point of sale - a roaming market stall! They'll be able to set up in Heptonstall, Cragg Vale, Midgley, Slack Bottom and Luddenden Foot.
The cargo bike will be custom built for the Yorkshire weather - fully waterproof with lights. The power assist, combining fitness with the very latest gear and battery technology encompassed by a lightweight frame, will help getting up very steep hills.
CrowdFunding
So the cargo bike should be here any day now. But they need "to bespoke it" - to transform it into an eye catching mobile point of sale - a cargo box tailor made to transport fresh bread and to magically change into a mobile market stall! Something that's unique and reflects the quality of the bread.
It needs to be collapsible, allowing the stall to fold away when not in use. So a well designed, hand crafted branded cargo box is what is needed. They want to raise £2,000 to help us achieve this goal.
They've got some "delicious delights for anyone willing to support us," including bread (both standard and speciality loaves such as Olive bread, Honey and Lavender bread, local Real Ale bread - ale from Little Valley Brewery up the road - and Chocolate and Currant Sourdough.
They're also offering yummy cupcakes such as Raspberry and Tiramasu vegan cupcakes and unique Le Tour 2014 bread items in celebration of the passing Tour de France in July 2014. For those who live further afield, there's a range of rewards they will post out such as bakehouse biscuits and croutons.
They're happy for any of their supporters to visit us at Top Land - they're offering a whole day bakehouse experience too as one of the rewards.
So if you want to be part of an exciting journey and sample some delicious product range along the way, visit the Crowdfunder website to support them.