13 September 2022
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 launch the first Loaf t-shirt and a new, bigger tote bag. Plus an updated list of what the B30 Food Bank needs.
We’ll have plenty of bread and pastries on the shelves all day, with lunches served from noon on weekdays.
Scroll down for this week’s lunch menu, cookery school vacancies and community news.
Our opening hours are:
Wednesday: 12-4
Thursday: 12-6
Friday: 12-6
Saturday: 8-1
Thanks for coming to our birthday party!
We had a lovely time on Sunday at Attic so a big thanks to those of you who were able to make it. It was great to catch up with friends old and new, plotting the future while looking back at an eventful decade on Stirchley high street.
Big thanks go to Attic for hosting, Anis’s for the delicious samosas and pakoras, Holodeck for printing the cards shown above (let us know at the shop if you’d like one), and all of you for getting us to this point. Here’s to many more decades!
In putting together a slideshow of photos and scanned documents from the filing cabinet we were amazed at what’s in there and want to spend more time properly archiving it ready for our move to the new building in 2024. If you’re a local historian-type and are interested in helping, get in touch.
New Loaf merchandise
At our birthday party on Sunday we unveiled the start of our new merchandise line. Having long been envious of Eat Vietnam’s stylish garbs over the road we decided we wanted in on this game.
Building on Kerry’s impeccable branding with Molly’s gorgeous illustrations, our first t-shirt is a pastries special, featuring the core range of croissant, pain-au-chocolate and pain-au-raisin. Printed in white on a black organic cotton tee, on the back of course so it’s not obscured by your apron. Available in small, medium, large and x-large for £15.
Alongside this we’re introducing a larger, sturdier tote bag, for those who like to buy their bread in bulk. The first batch is a bold fluorescent red on a metal-grey bag and they sell for £12.
They’re available in store from Wednesday. Big thanks to Brid at Do Make Say Ink for getting them printed in record time.
Food bank needs
Here’s the updated list of what the B30 Food Bank needs now. If you have surplus in your cupboard, you can bring it to the counter and we’ll pass it on with the weekly bread collection.
Urgently in need:
- Rice (500g packs)
- Pasta sauce
- Tinned fish (tuna, mackerel, sardines, salmon)
- Tinned fruit in juice (not prunes or grapefruit)
- Sweet biscuits (not multi-packs)
- Tinned spaghetti
- Jam/honey
- Liquid/bar soap
- Strong carrier bags
- Nappies sizes 4, 5 & 6
- Laundry powder/liquid (not family-sized)
Low in stock
- Tinned tomatoes
- Tinned/packet soup
- Squash
- UHT semi-skimmed milk
- Dog food
- Instant hot chocolate (not cocoa powder)
- Long-life fruit juice (not needing refrigeration)
- Instant coffee (not decaffeinated)
- Porridge (not greater than 500g)
- Ready-made custard (tinned/carton)
- UHT whole milk
- Tinned rice pudding
- Tinned/packet vegetarian meals
- Tinned meat (ham, corned beef, pork sandwich, pulled pork, chicken)
- Sugar (500g)
- Chocolate and snack bars
- Gender-neutral shower gel
- Gender-neutral shampoo
- Toothpaste
- Single or duo wrapped toothbrushes
- Toilet rolls
- Washing-up liquid
We are also accepting cash donations for the food bank, online and at the counter.
Rach with part of our weekly bread donation to the food bank.
The Breadcrumbs
🥖 We had delivery from Jacky’s Jams last week with a number of new seasonal varieties. Check them out next time you’re in.
🥖 Do you run a community group in Birmingham or are thinking of starting one? Birmingham Community Matters is running an advice session at The Old Post Office on Tuesday 27 September.
🥖 What’s on at Artefact this week? Support your local artist-run co-op social gallery space!
🥖 Ovacome, the support charity for ovarian cancer, is having a walk and picnic to relaunch its Midlands hub at Cannon Hill Park on Sunday 25 September. One of our regular customers is involved and asked us to spread the word, which we’re always happy to do.
🥖 Three Acres And A Cow is coming to Birmingham on Saturday 1 October - a history of land rights and protest in folk song and story.
🥖 Stirchley Happenings is back with the Look Closely Art Trail. We’ve been told to “check out the robot birds made from recycled vacuum cleaner in the window of the vac clinic.” Intriguing!
Lunches this week
Wednesday
- Curry: Tarka daal with sourdough (Ve)
Thursday
- Ciabatta sandwich: Roasted garlic hummus, roast beetroot, rocket (Ve), optional feta (V)
Friday
- Curry: New potato, spinach and coconut curry with sourdough (Ve)
- Salt beef on challah
Wed — Fri
- Sourdough pizza: Artichoke, olive, caper, tomato, basil and buffalo mozzarella (V)
- Ham and cheese croissant
- Pine nut pesto and cheese croissant (V)
Wed — 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 vacancies as of this newsletter being posted.
Loaf’s all-day classes:
- Bread — Back to Basics: Tue 27 Sep, Tue 4 Oct, Tue 8 Nov, Sat 19 Nov
- Simply Sourdough: Sat 24 Sep, Sat 12 Nov, Sat 26 Nov
- Sweet Breads and Viennoiserie: Tue 1 Nov, Tue 22 Nov
Haseen’s evening classes:
Lap’s all-day classes:
- Seafood Masterclass: Sat 8 Oct, Sat 5 Nov
- Sausage & Charcuterie: Tue 11 Oct, Tue 29 Nov
Lap’s evening classes:
- Thai Cooking: Wed 5 Oct, Wed 9 Nov
- Sushi: Wed 28 Sep, Thu 27 Oct
- Ramen: Thu 15 Sep, Thu 20 Oct
- Knife Skills & Maintenance: Wed 2 Nov
We release new dates as soon as possible, based on tutor availability. You can sign up to alert lists for specific classes here.
Thanks for all your continued support. See you next week!
Team Loaf: Neil, Martha, Dorit, Ian, Nancy, Sarah, Rach, Pete & Molly