This is the weekly bulletin from Loaf in Stirchley, with our specials, lunches and cookery school classes.
Two more days to go!
Dear lovely customers,
tomorrow and Xmas Eve will be the last two days of trading for Loaf after this year which felt really long and exciting.
We've got over 600 pre orders for the next two days (Thank you for that! It helps us a lot to reduce waste and still make as many people happy as possible).
We will hit our current baking capacities (not only fridge wise … even if everyone at Loaf especially at this time of the year agrees on the fact that you can never have enough fridges). We will bake spare bread, pastries and mince pies.
If you are early on Tuesday (open from 12-6) or Wednesday (Xmas Eve - open from 8-1) you could still be lucky.
Tuesday is the better day to be lucky since there are far less pre orders and we will offer more for free sale, especially the pastries are looking good - last chance for our festive buns! We will do a small selection of sweets, but no lunches at all!
If you pre ordered online and you are not in a hurry to get it early in the day, just come later that day and save yourself some of the waiting time in our traditionally long but very cheerful Christmas queue.
🎄 Christmas Opening Hours 🎄
⛄ Tuesdays: 12pm – 6pm
⛄ Christmas Eve: 8am – 1pm
We will then be closed from the 25th December right through until we re-open on Saturday the 10th January 2026 for a well needed rest!
Visit us at 1421 Pershore Road, Stirchley, B30 2JL (map)
Sweets This Week
Three types of cookies (Molasses, Choc Chip and Ginger)
Everything Blondie
Biscoff Brownie
No Lunches this week!
There won’t be any lunches on this week!
Loaf will be closed from 25th December til 9th of January. We will be back open on Saturday 10th January (probably with some sausage and vegetable rolls)!
Next lunch menu will be for Wednesday 14th January 2026.
Support Artefact Crowdfunder
Help artefact build a new co-op home for art, music & community in Stirchley’s landmark development.
They just released their own crowdfunder for their move into the Stirchley Co-operative Development.
Artefact has always been more than a venue. It is a collective experiment in how art can help communities flourish. Their audiences are intergenerational, diverse and rooted in Stirchley. They have hosted everything from book launches to pottery workshops, jazz nights to radical lectures, film screenings to poetry.
This is the chance to build something lasting for Stirchley, for Birmingham, and for anyone who believes art should belong to everyone.
Did you already see the Bread Club reward?
Speaking of Crowdfunding. Our own crowdfunder is still running. We will keep it open for donations after the official dead line on Xmas Eve is over, but for now you can still get one of our rewards.
We’ve released a few weeks ago the possibility to join our Bread Club, which means that after our move into the new building you will get one free loaf of bread every week! So if you get bread regularly anyway, why not support us in that way? Maybe you are even looking for a last minute Christmas gift?
If I would not already work in a bakery, I would definitely be happy about somebody buying me a free loaf of bread for one year.
Little sneak peak
We are too busy with the Christmas jobs at this point of the year to give you a proper update, but thought some of you would like to have a little sneak peak into our new place. So here we go!
You can see, there are still a few bits and bobs to do, but it gets more and more real and we can’t wait for the move to come and finally start Loaf’s next chapter. Watch this space!
Cookery School Classes
You can book for January and February 2026 our classes, just follow the links to book now!
We’ve just released some more course dates like our Handmade Pasta and the Bread: Back to Basics course.
And there are still a few spaces left on the Seafood Masterclass with Lap-fai Lee!
All-Day 2026 Classes with Availability:
Saturday 7th February 2026 10:30am - 4pm
A hands-on course with Lap-fai Lee exploring all things seafood. You’ll learn how to prep and cook everything from mackerel, seabass, and lemon sole to squid, prawns, oysters - with both Asian and European techniques.
Wednesday 31st January 2026 9:30am - 4pm
Learn how to make bread with our baker Neil.
Evening Classes with Availability:
🥟 Dumplings 🥟
Tuesday 27th January 2026 6:30 - 9:30pm
You’ll learn to make dumpling dough and fillings from scratch, including vegetarian, pork, Sichuan lamb wontons, and crispy fried dim sum-style wontons.
🔪 Knife Skills & Maintenance 🔪
Tuesday 3rd February 2026 6:30 - 9:30pm
A workshop with Lap-fai Lee that dives deep into the art of broth, noodles, toppings, and seasoning. Expect rich flavours, smart technique, and the know‑how to recreate at home.
🌶️ Thai 🌶️
Wednesday 4th February 2026 6:30 - 9:30pm
Explore Thai cuisine through authentic spice blends, curries and sauces. Hosted by Lap-fai Lee.
Handmade Pasta
Wednesday 10th February 2026 6:30 - 9:30pm
Learn how to make pasta, fillings and sauces with Rach and Molly.
Booking Info:
All equipment, recipes, aprons & refreshments provided.
Please check the individual class restrictions for dietary requirements and allergies, and get in touch with any queries.
Spaces are limited and booked on a first-come, first-served basis upon receipt of payment. We require 100% payment in advance for all of our courses.
🎁 Loaf’s Gift Guide 🎁
Looking for the perfect gift for a bakery fan, home baker or foodie friend? Whether you’re after something small and thoughtful or a proper treat - we’ve got you covered!
Gift Cards & Vouchers
In-store Gift Cards - ideal if you’re not sure what someone fancies. They can be loaded with an amount of your choosing and used for any product we sell in our shop including bread, pastries and equipment. To buy, just ask a member of staff in our shop!
Shop Vouchers Cookery School Vouchers - give the gift of skills: our cookery classes make brilliant presents for bread lovers, home cooks, or anyone wanting to learn something new. Our vouchers can be purchased in any value you like for redemption against future bookings. Vouchers purchased online will give you a downloadable pdf which can be emailed to the recipient directly, or to you for printing and giving to them by hand. Alternatively you can come to us and buy vouchers in the shop.
Cookery School Vouchers
Loaf Merch
From Loaf-branded t-shirts and totes to aprons - a great gift for fans of Loaf. We have a selection of T-shirts for sale as well as Aprons, Tote Bags, Bread Bags and Tea Towels.
Baking Equipment & Tools
For those who love to bake at home, we stock a range of essential gear:
Banetons (proofing baskets) - £14 large, £12 small
Baking Tins - £14 large, £12 small
Handmade Peel by Dale Hipkiss - £18
Quarry Tiles (turn your domestic oven into a bakery oven) - £7.50 for 4
Scoring Knife - £2
Dough Scraper - £1.50
Equipment for sale at Loaf
These make thoughtful and practical presents - especially for someone starting out on their home-baking journey. All the products above can be purchased in our shop.
Retail & Grocery Goodies
For the food lover who enjoys more than just bread, we’ve got artisan-style grocery items in store - from locally made jams, sauces and honey to curated coffee, chocolate, and pantry treats - all available for purchase in our shop!
Pip’s Hot Sauce
Jacky’s Jam
Marshall’s Chocolate
River Rea Honey
Quarter Horse Coffee
Hundred House Coffee
Support our Crowdfunder!
A Huge Thank You! 💛
We’ve been absolutely blown away by your support - we’ve already reached 57% of our £25,000 target! Your generosity and enthusiasm mean the world to us.
We have just added a new reward to the Crowdfunder where for £250 you can collect a free loaf of bread every week for a year (starting from when we re-open in the new building in early 2026). Think of it as a new version of our Bread Bonds where, if purchased, you will be able to order a loaf of your choosing for collection each week for a whole year!
Due to the busy nature of December here at Loaf we have decided to wait to prioritise getting your rewards to you until January 2026 so please be patient and as soon as we’re back up and running in Jan we will make it our priority - promise!
There’s still a way to go - 43% to reach our goal - so please keep spreading the word and sharing our campaign with anyone who might want to get involved.
Tell Us What You’d Like to See in Loaf’s New Cookery School
Thanks to those who have already filled out the form below. I’m going to leave the link in the newsletter for a couple weeks in case anyone missed it last time!
We’re creating a new fully accessible cookery school, designed so that everyone can take part in our classes and events. We want to hear from our community - what kinds of cookery school classes, activities, and features would make the new space most welcoming and useful to you?
Please take 2 minutes to share your thoughts using our short survey:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScUnjj2jpOR_62S7LlLFYV5DJIdCPa9OzmiiIhps5JVLJb1YQ/viewform?usp=header
Your feedback will help us design an inclusive, vibrant space that truly serves Stirchley.
Thanks for all your Continued Support
See you soon!
Molly, Mina, Pete, Kate, Dorit, Michael, Dave, Fliss, Rach & Neil
Address: 1421 Pershore Road, Stirchley, B30 2JL - map
Website: loaf.coop
Updates on: Instagram
Review us on: Google | Tripadvisor
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