21 November 2023
This is the weekly-ish newsletter from Loaf in Stirchley, keeping you abreast of our bakery and cookery school, and other news we think you might be interested in.
This week we congratulate Rossiters on 40 years, remind you of the B30 food bank deadline, notify you of Artefact's party, and recommend a documentary about the housing crisis.
Scroll down for this week’s lunch menu and cookery school spaces.
🍞 Pre-order your bread and pastries 🥐
We’ll have plenty on the shelves all week, with lunches served from noon on weekdays.
Our opening hours are:
Wed - Fri: 12-6
Saturday: 8-1
Happy 40th to Rossiters!
Ever since Loaf opened on the high street we've had a relationship with Rossiters, the butcher on the junction of Mary Vale Road and Linden Road. Our sausage rolls are legendary thanks to the consistent quality of organic sausage mix we collect from them twice a week. And then there's our salt beef sandwiches on Fridays...
For many years Steve Rossiter ran a butchery class at Loaf, until the pandemic meant he needed to spend more time with the core business. This unique class gave those who choose to eat meat the opportunity to understand where it comes from and helped define the Loaf ethos of connecting people with the source of their sustenance.
Steve Rossiter teaching butchery at Loaf in 2015
This year marks 40 years of Rossiters trading in Bournville. We're very proud of our association with this local landmark and hope it continues for many decades to come!
Foodbank Christmas collection deadline
We noticed in our MP's latest missive that the B30 Food Bank has asked for all Christmas donations to be in by December 8th this year. If you're wanting to donate food, Loaf is an official collection point so we can take your donations on your behalf. They collect from us early on Friday mornings so the last useful day would be Thursday 7th November.
You can find a list of items desperately needed on this page.
Of course anything given after that date will be passed on, but we presume there's a very good logistical reason for the early deadline.
Artefact-in-Limbo party!
It would not be December in Stirchley without the absurdity of the Artefact Christmas party, and a temporary lack of venue will not stop them. December 9th is the Artefact in Limbo All-Day Christmas Bonanza where your favourite artist co-operative takes over Birmingham Brew Company and Verbena for an afternoon and evening of High Weirdness.
Watch this documentary about the housing crisis
Hundreds of people applied to live in the 39 flats in our new building, currently under construction between Hunts Road and the British Oak. Interviews have been taking place over the last week and a few of us from Loaf have been helping out.
It's been an eye-opening experience, talking to people who are in desperate need of secure, affordable and safe accommodation. While we're proud to bring some affordable housing to Stirchley, we're very aware that we're barely scratching the surface of what's really needed.
So how did we get to this position? At every election every party pledges to build more houses yet supply never matches demand. Who's at fault?
Britain’s Housing Crisis: What Went Wrong? (review) is a furious and passionate documentary on BBC iPlayer that points all the fingers and is an eye-opening corrective on the true scale of the problem. We highly recommend it.
Lunches this week
Wednesday
- Tarka daal with sourdough (Ve)
Thursday
- Soup: Spicy tomato, red pepper and lentil, with caraway seed sourdough (Ve)
Friday
- Curry: Butternut squash, lentil, chickpea & spinach with sourdough (Ve)
- Salt beef on challah bun
Wed – Sat:
- Sausage rolls
- Vegetable rolls (V)
Wed - Fri
- Sourdough pizza: Artichoke, spinach, chilli, sun dried tomato & garlic base & mozzarella (V)
- Ham and cheese croissant
- Tomato, spinach and cheese croissant (V)
Lunches are made fresh weekdays for 12 noon.
Our menu for the week — with ingredients and allergens — is on the website.
Cookery school classes
We're heading towards the end of the Autumn term. Everything is sold out except for Seafood Masterclass on 2 Dec which has a couple of places left.
Classes for January onwards will be posted soon. You can sign up to alert lists for specific classes here.
Thanks for all your continued support. See you next week!
Team Loaf: Dorit, Ian, Martha, Molly, Neil, Sarah, Rach, Pete & Dave
Website: loaf.coop
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