Bread – with East End wheat
WHEAT SOWN ON THE STREETS OF NEWCASTLE’S EAST END FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER 100 YEARS
SEEDS sown on the streets of Newcastle have produced the first wheat to be harvested on Tyneside in centuries, giving a community cause for celebration.
Bakers at the Big River Bakery, in Shieldfield, started to believe their dream of creating a locally-sourced loaf would be impossible after previous attempts were ruined by rodents.
But when a nearby arts organisation, Shieldfield Art Works (SAW), and Shieldfield Methodist Church got in touch to discuss their current wheat growing project, it sparked new hope and soon the Shieldfield loaf was born.
Andy Haddon, founder of the Big River Bakery, said: “This is the first time bread has been made out of wheat grown on Tyneside for hundreds of years and it is entirely appropriate that it should happen here in Shieldfield.
“The Newcastle Corn Riots Project, which uses the corn riots of 1740 to study the connections between poverty and food, was launched here last year by a collaboration of local community groups.”
He added: “Both the original riots and the current project raise awareness of the basic human right to good quality, healthy food at
affordable prices.
“That is what the Big River Bakery is all about and I think right here, right now, that resonates with people.” The group placed planters across six streets in Shieldfield with 10 metre square plots, housing enough grain to bake 10 loaves.
And local residents and pupils from Christchurch and Hotspur primary schools helped to plant the spring wheat before the first national lockdown while continuing to tend to it over the summer.
The community effort continued when the wheat was ready and residents offered their help to harvest the wheat with scissors.
It was then transported to the bakery for milling and baking during two bread baking workshops attended by 11 local residents.
Oats and a dash of black treacle was also added to the recipe to give the local loaf a unique taste.
And to celebrate the community achievement, the loaves were sliced and distributed to 64 local households in harvest festival packs, complete with jars of homemade pickles and jams that were made during another SAW project.
It is hoped the successful local harvest will be the start of a long future for the Sheildfield loaf.