The Flour and Spoon Story
Flour and Spoon's journey began in 2015, in the cozy confines of a home kitchen nestled in Aveley, Essex. With a passion for baking and a commitment to quality, our first batch of overnight proved sourdough emerged, setting the stage for our artisanal venture. Each loaf was crafted with care, embodying our dedication to traditional baking methods and premium ingredients.
As Flour and Spoon's reputation began to grow, we ventured into the bustling landscape of Central London. Our first pop-up at Old Street, London, showcased our diverse array of freshly baked breads and cakes, all displayed on a beautifully handcrafted cart. This marked our first foray into the broader market, as we introduced our artisanal offerings to a wider audience. Additionally, recognizing the importance of community and sustainable baking practices, we proudly aligned ourselves with the Real Bread Campaign, advocating for transparency and integrity within the baking industry.
Seeking a closer connection to our roots, Flour and Spoon found a new home in the picturesque small fishing town of Leigh-on-Sea. It was here that our dedication to artisanal baking caught the attention of the local community, earning us our first newspaper feature. The recognition served as validation of our commitment to excellence and fueled our passion to continue delivering high-quality baked goods to our patrons.
Our flour is delivered weekly from Marriage`s Mill in Chelmsford and soon gets used in our baking. As this flour doesn’t have any of the nasty additives that commercial flours include, we can assure excellent quality bakes every time. We believe in locally sourcing as many of our ingredients as we can supporting small businesses and assuring our customers excellent quality and flavour.
And so the hard work begins…..a sloppy, porridge like mixture called levain is made from just flour and water. Thousands of years ago the Ancient Egyptians discovered this when flour and water was left out to ferment in the sweltering Egyptian sun. It bubbled creating a natural raising agent which we know in our age as a natural yeast. This amazing discovery allowed sourdough (how we call it now) to be made from just flour and water with a small amount of salt to enhance the flavour. Here at Flour and Spoon we are still using this ancient method. After letting the stretch and fold process happen our bread is ready to be hand shaped and then put in proving baskets to sleep in the fridge overnight.
Early the next morning while the town is sleeping our bread is turned onto the trays, scored and the high heated ovens make the magic begin! The intense heat of the oven with shots of steam spark life into the dough making a delicious crust with a well developed nutty flavour. The stand is stocked full of bread, the coffee machine is fired up, the cakes are displayed and the doors swing open for an early start to deliver fresh bread and bakes every day to our fantastic appreciated customers.
Wherever you will try our bakes either at home or a visit in our café, we hope you will always enjoy!