The Cake Shop in Woodbridge has teamed up with Maple Farm in Kelsale to produce a completely Suffolk loaf. The Suffolk Spelt and Honey bread uses the unusual spelt flour produced from spelt grown and milled locally at Maple Farm Kelsale (visit Maple Farm's website).
From field to bakery, there is a total of 15 food miles.
The Cake Shop has won the EADT Suffolk Food Award for “Best Baker” for the last three years and Peter Wright, who is in his 55th year as a baker, decided to create a totally new Suffolk loaf to celebrate.
William and Miranda Kendall of Maple Farm Kelsale grow several heritage grains including Rye and Spelt. Spelt is grown by only a handful of farmers in the UK, and is increasingly sought after for its health benefits.
Peter Wright said, “Maple Farm Kelsale is the only supplier I have ever known to mill to order which means their flour arrives fresh to the bakery. We are excited by the possibilities of locally grown spelt as it is so unusual and produces a distinctive flavour. It’s good to think that by working with Maple Farm we’ve been able to grow and produce right here in our own county everything we need to make a healthy, great-tasting local loaf. From grain to crust, the new Suffolk Spelt and Honey loaf is Suffolk-born bread”.
William Kendall said, “So much shop flour is made from grain transported from faraway continents. Our flour is produced from grain grown right here on our farm and milled on the spot. We are delighted to be working with the fantastic team at The Cake Shop who share our belief in producing food that is healthy, delicious and reflects the great produce we have in the county”.
The bread is on sale in The Cake Shop and Budgens in Woodbridge: £1.50 a loaf for a true slice of Suffolk.
Maple Farm Kelsale is also known for its free range organic eggs and these are available to buy in The Cake Shop as well as bags of all their different types of flour.
For further information and samples, please contact:
David Wright T: 07769 694515 E: david@cakeshopbakery.co.uk
William Kendall T: O7768 764 941 E: info@maplefarmkelsale.co.uk
About spelt
A wonderfully nutritious and ancient grain with a sweet and nutty flavour, spelt is a cousin to wheat that is recently receiving renewed recognition.
Spelt is similar to wheat in appearance and although it contains more protein than wheat, it appears to be easier to digest. This means that many people who are allergic to wheat have no problems with spelt. However, spelt has gluten, just like wheat, so it isn’t suitable for a gluten-free diet.
Spelt traces its heritage back long before many wheat hybrids – it’s the grandfather of wheat as we know it today. It offers a broader spectrum of nutrients compared with many of its more inbred cousins in the wheat family. It can be used in many of the same ways as wheat including bread and pasta making or as a loose grain in soups and salads.
History of spelt
Spelt has a heritage thought to extend back 7,000 years and was one of the first grains to be used to make bread. Spelt played an important role in ancient civilizations, such as Greece and Rome, serving as a staple grain.
Throughout early European history, as populations migrated throughout the continent, they brought this hearty and nutritious grain with them to their new lands. Spelt was a popular grain, especially in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
Spelt was cultivated on a moderate level in the United States until the beginning of the 20th century when farmers turned their efforts to the cultivation of wheat. While there may have been many reasons for this agricultural shift, one is that spelt's nutrient-rich tough husk makes it harder to process than wheat. Yet, recently this ancient grain has been receiving renewed interest, and for health reasons, its popularity and appreciation are beginning to escalate.