Our Daily Bread: Real Bread Week in Surrey

Whether we’re spreading jam on our toast at breakfast, packing up the kids’ sandwiches for school or mopping up the last of a delicious dinner, bread is a major part of the daily diet for most of us, but how many of us know what goes into making it? This week (9th – 15th May) is Real Bread Week, an event organised by the Real Bread Campaign to celebrate 'real' bread and its makers, we're encouraging you to put aside the sliced white and try a good, honest loaf from a real local baker.

Chris and Rosie Robinson, owners of Chalk Hills Bakery, are some of Surrey's real bread champions. Their cafe in Bell Street, Reigate, is stocked only with their own breads and pastries, made fresh every day in their bakery just up the road at Priory Farm. Chris knows it takes time to produce a really good loaf, which is why each batch of Chalk Hills Bakery bread is proved for up to six hours before it sees an oven, but what makes it 'real' bread? "Organic flour and water are all we need to start making our bread," explains Chris. All that's added is a touch of salt and natural flavourings like olives and seeds, nothing artificial, which is what the Real Bread Campaign is all about.

Over in Epsom, Local Food Britain member Rhiannon Abbot runs microbakery The Epsom Bakehouse from her home. She's a 'Bread Angel' – one of a number of microbakeries across the country whose mission is to 'change the world by baking excellent quality bread'. "I've been baking for as long as I can remember, it's something I really enjoy," Rhiannon says. "I left a job at the end of 2012 and wanted to do something different, something for myself. So I trained to become a Bread Angel and set up my own microbakery, selling my bread at local markets around Epsom alongside a fellow Bread Angel."

Rhiannon's love for bread doesn't stop there: she also trains new Bread Angels by teaching others how to bake proper bread, and even how to set up their own microbakery. While some of her students just want to take the next step with their home-baking skills, others will go on to bake for their own communities or perhaps even train Bread Angels themselves. "I started the classes because I really enjoy teaching and I find such a diverse range of people using the course for many reasons," Rhiannon explains. "There's a 'wow' moment when a loaf of beautiful golden-brown bread they've baked themselves comes out of the oven. That's what I try to pass on – the skill and the enjoyment."

Real bread might take a little more time and effort, but it's well worth it - so whether you buy a bloomer from your local artisan bakery this week or learn to knock up a batch at home, use your loaf and make sure it's real bread.