On the 25th September 2018, immediately preceding our AGM, we started what might well be the first ever community science experiment of its kind: a ‘People’s Plant Breeding’ grain selection event. ‘A small, quiet and entirely benign revolution.’ We recommend you read in more detail about the background to the event here, but in brief: […]
In 2018, Scotland The Bread grew 70 tonnes of wheat and rye on the Balcaskie Estate in Fife. There are 10 ‘varieties’ which, with the exception of one modern spring wheat Paragon, are characterised by considerable genetic diversity within the crop. This is especially true of the ‘evolutionary varieties’ that we have brought over from Sweden. […]
The second Scottish Bread Championships was held at this year’s Royal Highland Show, attracting more than 80 entries from across Scotland. Judging took almost four hours, with eight of the country’s keenest food experts poring over a laden stretch of table before the awards were collated. Organised by the Scottish Food Guide and Scotland The Bread, the Championships are made […]
After the success of 2017’s inaugural Scottish Bread Championships, this year’s expert-packed judging panel has expanded by two, bringing the expertise of cookery writer Sue Lawrence and gastronomy academic Charlotte Maberly to the sourdough-laden table. Read about all eight of the Real Bread critics here, and submit your entry by Friday May 1 (entry deadline extended) for […]
The turn out was impressive, so chances are you already know all about the first Crossmyloof Bread Festival, held on April 21st on the site of the former Crossmyloof Bakery in Glasgow. ‘Bread and roses’ was the theme of the day, alluding to the political slogan: ‘The worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too’. This […]
To celebrate the start of Real Bread Week (February 24 – March 4 2018), a number of our Soil to Slice groups gathered on Sunday 25 February at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s Botanic Cottage to talk yields, baking inspiration, milling and new season sowing. Kicking off the introductions over sticky Chelsea buns (made with Rouge d’Ecosse grain […]
We are enjoying being kept busy at Macbiehill Farmhouse milling Scotland The Bread’s heritage flours – more than three quarters of a ton, as of January 2018. In November we launched three varieties of flour from wheat landraces that were common in Scotland in the 19th century – Rouge d’Ecosse, Golden Drop and Hunter’s. We are somewhat […]
When crowded calendars demand our attention and we are engrossed in working towards the next big goal, it can be easy to lose sight of the milestones that have already been passed. To celebrate the dawn of 2018 and the completion of some long to-do lists, Director Clare Fennell cast her eye back over Scotland The Bread’s […]
To mark the launch of our heritage flours, we sent samples to some of our most trusted bakers to gain valuable feedback. The flour is softer than normal breadmaking flour (we have put together tips and advice on handling it for best results and a longer post on why it’s so different), so it was […]
After five years’ work in growing and research, social business Scotland The Bread has released for sale Scotland’s first ever nutrient-dense heritage flour. More than 900,000 tonnes of wheat was grown in Scotland in 2017, enough to make all the bread we consume six times over. Instead, grain was imported to mill for breadmaking flour, […]
