3 April 2023
This is the weekly 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 check in with fundraising for SIFA Fireside, reassure you we’re open over Easter, inspect the recent coffee delivery, look forward to this week’s sweets and cakes and, ponder the Plum Festival.
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 bakery opening hours are:
Tue - Fri: 12 - 6
Saturday: 8 - 1
Please note we will be closed on Tuesday 18 April.
Easter hours and ordering
As is tradition, we will not be reducing our hours over the Easter period. We will be open as normal on Good Friday and Saturday 8 April laden with hot cross buns and some extra special treats.
With so many of you going away over the holidays we do notice a dip in demand, so will be reducing our bake to avoid any excess waste. With this in mind, please consider ordering in advance to avoid disappointment.
SIFA Fireside fundraising update
We’ve been taking donations for the homelessness charity SIFA Fireside since the start of 2023 and have raised £300 so far. Thanks to everyone who’s been able to donate — it’s really appreciated.
They’ve recently remodelled how they give support to those experiencing homelessness in Birmingham and this blog post gives a nice sense of what donations go towards providing.
They also post a lot to their Instagram, often highlighting the specific things they’re short of, from tins of beans to volunteers.
You can make cash donations with your online order at the checkout or at the shop counter through to the end of June. Thank you!
Quarter Horse coffee restocked
We’ve had a delivery of coffee beans from Quarter Horse, carefully selected by Dorit and Dave. If you ever need help deciding which beans to buy, they’ll be more than happy to advise. Here’s what’s currently on the shelves:
☕️ El Salvador: Finca Atzumpa
☕️ Rwanda: Ireme
☕️ Costa Rica: Tico
☕️ Mexico: Loxicha
☕️ Roan Espresso
☕️ And of course the trusty Dark Horse Espresso blend
Sweets this week
Here’s what the bakers on the sweets shift are promising to make this week:
🧁 Banana and peanut butter brownie
🧁 Raspberry and white chocolate brownie
🧁 Raspberry bakewell tart
🧁 Peach and blackberry crumble cake
🧁 Treacle tart
🧁 Plum and ginger spice cake
🧁 Lemon drizzle loaf
Plus there was rumour of a cookie or two. What will be on sale on what days? You’ll have to come in to find out!
Ten Acres Plum Festival
Our good friends at Sustainable Life are running their festival of the noble plum again this August, and are looking for volunteers, activities and stalls. Community events are free and businesses can get involved for a £20 fee.
This is a vibrant celebration festival of the Ten Acres Stirchley site and the River Rea, including a range of family friendly activities such as dance, drama and art/crafts. The festival will highlight the local area’s beauty and abundance with a focus on the two large plum groves on site, and will include walks, tours and conservation workshops/activities.
For more information email fota@tenacresconservation.co.uk
Lunches this week
Tuesday
- Curry: Tarka daal with sourdough (Ve)
Wednesday
- Soup: Sweet potato, red pepper and lentil with a crusty cob (Ve)
Thursday
- Sandwich: Roasted harissa cauliflower, pickled red onion, vegan garlic mayo, spinach and crispy chickpeas on sea salt focaccia (Ve) with optional feta (V)
Friday
- Curry: Spring green coconut with sourdough (Ve)
- Salt beef on challah
Tue — Fri
- Sourdough pizza: Butternut squash, rosemary, sage, confit garlic, sun-dried tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan (V)
Wed — Fri
- Ham and cheese croissant
- Pine nut pesto and cheese croissant (V)
Tue — Sat:
- Sausage rolls
- Vegetable rolls (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
The following classes have spaces as of this newsletter being posted.
More dates will be released over the next fortnight.
Loaf’s all-day classes:
- Sweet Breads and Viennoiserie: Sat 13 May
- Wholegrain Baking with Tom Baker: Sat 20 May
Loaf’s evening classes:
- Handmade Pasta: Wed 24 May
Haseen’s evening classes:
Lap’s evening classes:
- Ramen: Thu 4 May
- Knife Skills: Thu 25 May
The next tranche of dates will be released soon. You can sign up to alert lists for specific classes here.
Thanks for all your continued support. See you next week!
Team Loaf: Molly, Dorit, Martha, Dave, Neil, Ian, Rach, Sarah, Pete & Nancy
Website: loaf.coop
Socials: Instagram / Mastodon / Twitter / Facebook