Stoney-Vegan-Batter

The small enclave of Stoneybatter north of Dublin’s city centre just might be a candidate for vegan capital of Ireland, with a slew of new vegan eating spots adding to the area’s existing foodie credentials.

Stoneybatter has carefully cultivated its hipster haven status in the last few years. It’s a great place to socialise and eat out in, with an ever changing food scene. Several of the more traditional pubs in the neighbourhood have even embraced food trucks including the eclectic Glimmerman Pub on Manor Street where a Vietnamese food truck serves vegetarian meals from Thursday to Sunday.

On the vegan front, estimates vary, however vegans are believed to represent between 1-3% of the population of the developed world. Vegans could be forgiven for feeling a certain vindication of late. Interest in plant based diets has never been higher. Their time has come. This is a movement that is proceeding at a high octane pace and no one wants to be left behind. Veganism has become mainstream, and very quickly.

It’s not so long ago though that veganism was very much in the margins, an activism-driven hardline community.

I myself had a short sharp introduction to veganism. After I moved to the UK some years ago I arranged to meet a friend from college who was then living in Oxford. We decamped to a nearby restaurant and revelled in our grown-up status. A proper restaurant that wasn’t the college canteen! Then my friend rather ominously announced that she had become a vegan and hoped there would be something on the menu she could eat.

I soon found myself hiding behind the large plastic menu as my friend grilled the waitress about the provenance of every ingredient on the menu, resulting in several trips back and forth to the kitchen. 30 minutes later, very little had passed the vegan test, and she ended up settling for a salad. On balance, I decided it would be better not to talk too much about my new job selling meat and dairy products.

The situation couldn’t be more different now, with many establishments almost falling over themselves to promote their “vegan friendly” credentials. The traditional food industry is also making great efforts to meet this growing demand. A full 14% of all new product launches in the UK in 2017 were vegan.

People cite one or more of three key motivations for going vegan – animal welfare, environmental concerns and personal health – and it is being accompanied by an endless array of new business startups, cookbooks, YouTube channels, online shopping options and polemical documentaries.

The hugely successful Veganuary was launched in the UK in 2014, with 3,300 people signing up; by 2016, there were 23,000 participants, then 59,500 in 2017, and a staggering 168,000 in 2018. Notably 84% of the registered participants in 2018 were female, while 60% were aged under 35. It’s also estimated that far more people “do” Veganuary than actually register – up to 10 times the number.

Attitudes have shifted as well, with veganism now viewed less as a restricted diet and more as a positive lifestyle choice which empowers people. Importantly, this is a culture rather than a movement, with many believing that worldwide conversion to veganism is the only way to save the planet.

Stoneybatter’s Vegan Options

Beo has set up shop in a unit formerly occupied by a clothing shop. The slightly unusual space (narrow at the front, wider at the rear) has been expertly designed into a comfortable and modern homage to vegan food.

Beo, 50A Manor Street, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7

Famous for their vegan smoothie bowls, Kale and Coco’s first permanent outlet is now open in a ground floor unit within Swuite, one of the many student accommodation buildings now open in Dublin 7.

V-Face is a pop-up vegan burger stall which will reportedly shortly open in a site on North Brunswick Street. There is much speculation locally as to where this will be exactly. The former hairdressers? The former tattoo parlour? Or a hybrid offering all three?

Other vegan friendly outlets include Woke Up Café and Token on Queen Street. Vegetarian café Woke Up has been open since September while Token offers up a restaurant, bar, retro arcade, pinball parlour and event space with over 32 machines, 22 taps, and a range of vegan items on the menu.

Woke Up Café, Queen Street, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7

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Branding – how Irish can you be?

 

This is a question that I have been asked on a number of occasions.

It’s a tricky subject. Irish is our native language and we are of course justifiably proud of our culture and heritage. Also, Irish identity is indelibly linked with our nomenclature. The reality however is that some Irish names just don’t travel well. My own name which might seem straightforward to most was subject to much mangling – always unintentional – when I lived abroad.

This leads me to the Strictly Business series currently running on RTE where Sonya Lennon has been taking on business challenges with a diverse range of small companies.

These types of programmes can be somewhat formulaic but there is a lightness of touch about Strictly Business that appeals. Sonya is a good presenter and not overly preachy; her feedback to the companies is succinct and straightforward and delivered with great style (I would tune in just to see her dresses).

The participants in the series have been well chosen, all small businesses from different sectors and with engaging personalities at the helm. The story arc tends to run as follows:
• Company has a business issue that needs addressing
• Swift diagnosis of problem by expert
• Company is brought around to the proposed solution
• A challenge is set which the company meets admirably
• A bright future lies ahead

The third episode features the highly telegenic Jenny and David O’Halloran from the Aran Islands who have returned from New Zealand with their young family to take over the family seaweed company Blath na Mara. With backgrounds in agri-food and marine biology respectively they are well qualified to take the business to the next stage. Specifically, their plan is to evolve the product range into a prepared food offering, starting with a seaweed pesto made with hand harvested organic seaweed.

So far so good. Seaweed vegetables are full of nutrients and have been heralded as the new super-food. More usually packaged and sold in dried formats, an easier to eat presentation sounds like a winning formula. However, there is a slight problem. The new brand name being proposed for the food business – Eilír – doesn’t seem to be a good fit. Sonya has reservations. Consumer research affirms that this name just doesn’t work for a food brand (cosmetics maybe?).

Taking the feedback on board the company speedily rebrands to Aran Islands Seaweed Pesto proving that, sometimes, simplicity just works. The brand design also incorporates Bláth na Mara which ensures that the company’s uniquely Irish identity is not lost.

Coming up with a good brand name is far from easy. Ideally, a brand should be a short-cut for customers and tell a story about the brand’s personality. It should be short, easy to pronounce and memorable. Ultimately, the aim is to make a meaningful emotional connection.

This piece wouldn’t be complete without a review of the pesto. I made a quick detour to Fallon and Byrne in Dublin’s city centre during the week to pick up a pack and in a happy co-incidence I bumped into the radiant Jenny (baby no 3 due in May) making sure the pesto was in stock. Nothing like some TV exposure to shift product off shelves!

While I’m not usually a fan of ocean derived foods, I can share that the pesto is delicious, with a sharpness that adds to its authenticity. A wake up call for the palate and a true taste of the sea.

Strictly Business is on RTE 1, Wednesdays at 7.30pm and RTE Player

Painting and Pinting

A new type of hands-on entertainment which requires neither experience nor talent, is coming to a venue near you. Paint by the Pints, or Paint and Prosecco if you prefer your drinks a little more upmarket, is a fun way to combine a creative activity with socialising, eating and drinking. Aimed at the novice or amateur, all materials including a canvas are provided, with step by step instruction from an artist and a free drink or two (with, sometimes, a little food). The end result is a self-crafted masterpiece (!) to be proud of.

These pop up classes have been running in Dublin and other locations around Ireland for a little over a year now and have tapped into a phenomenon that I am going to call “Learning to Have Fun Without My Phone”.

Mixing a hobby or interest with socialising – business or personal – is well practiced, of course. Relationships and friendships have long been cultivated on golf courses, squash and tennis courts, at all sorts of sporting events and even, in some countries, in the sauna!

As a rookie sales executive travelling the length and breadth of the UK some years ago, I recall being strongly encouraged to find out (discreetly) what kinds of sporting interests our customers had. Understanding the delicate upward and downward movements of the various football and rugby leagues became an unofficial part of my job description.

But people’s needs and wants have evolved and become more sophisticated and nuanced. It is more acceptable and in fact encouraged to explore one’s creative self, expose our vulnerabilities and try something new. The enjoyment of the endeavour, rather than the output, is what is important.

And in an era where society has never been more connected and yet, conversely, never been more isolated, it isn’t surprising that more meaningful engagements are being sought out in all aspects of life.

In January I attended a rather unique bloggers networking event in the smart surroundings of House on Leeson Street in Dublin. The Bloggers Brunch consisted of a yoga lesson, a healthy (and super tasty) breakfast and a short but very effective opportunity to meet and learn from other bloggers. It was a refreshing change from the vast majority of networking events which tend to follow very standard tried and tested formats. As our yoga instructor rather serenely put it “People have fewer barriers when their bums are in the air”. So very true.

Also important is participation regardless of perceived talent or ability. When, I wonder, did we start telling our adult selves that we are not good or “useless” at something? Take art, for example. Our kitchen is practically wallpapered with our young sons’ creative works of art (which we of course compliment and marvel over) whereas my sole contribution to date has been to arrange them artistically on the walls.

So what’s next?

Meditation with Muesli?
Jigsaw Jambalaya?
Quinoa Quizzes?

Whatever it is, it will need to deliver to an audience of self-aware, health conscious and experientially focused individuals.

Meanwhile, I’m off to buy some paintbrushes.

Six pieces of food art

1. Coffee greetings spreading happiness.

   

   Bald Barista, Aungier Street, Dublin

2. Sustainable art; a sculpture made of used coffee pods.

   

   Nespresso Flagship Boutique, Regent Street, London

3. A wall mural.

   

   Hotel Moments, Andrassy 8, Budapest

4. Dining meets art. Powder pink furniture and (David Shrigley) art on the walls.

   

   Sketches Gallery Restaurant, 9 Conduit Street, London

5. Goulash “installation”.

   

   Pesti Sorcsarnok, Vamhaz koerut 16, 1053 Budapest

6. Personalised breads.

   

   Harrods Food Hall, Knightsbridge, London

London Calling and it’s about Street Food

The days when options for food during festivals and events were limited to lukewarm chips and barely cooked burgers are, thankfully, long gone. Street food has now evolved into an exciting and vibrant food offer which caters for a mobile customer who wants affordable and good quality food, in all weathers and all locations.

Photo by Tuur Tisseghem on Pexels.com

Street food really took off during the recession when people still wanted to eat out but more affordably. Since then, many formats have developed with pop-ups, roof tops, factories and even people’s front rooms all being put into action.

Eaten at markets, festivals, disused warehouses and now dedicated street food events, the vibrancy of the street food scene has been driven in part due to its accessibility, presenting great opportunities for food entrepreneurs with an original concept and  culinary skills.

It’s also a great way for cities to develop their night-time economy, support local communities and create a tourist destination. Dublin’s Eatyard, open since 2016, has created a hip and vibrant hub at the less fashionable end of Camden Street, for example.

Street food has a particular appeal in urban centres where many people seek escapism from the daily grind of commuting and are busily planning their next foreign holiday. So while chowing down on a gyros in The Athenian isn’t quite the same as lounging on a beach in the Mediterranean, it’s as close as you can get on a cold January day.

The Athenian, Boxpark Wembley

In London the Boxpark concept was the first to formalize the street food concept into a modern shopping and dining experience. The first site – presented as the world’s first pop-up mall – opened in Shoreditch in 2011 and was constructed entirely out of refitted shipping containers. In 2016 the second Boxpark opened in Croydon, with version 2 focusing entirely on drinks, dining and events.

And now to Version 3 – Boxpark Wembley Park which opened in December 2018 with 27 food and beverage operators and a large events space, in an entirely indoor site located right beside the stadium. This location in what would have been previously regarded as an unfashionable part of North West London already hosts millions of visitors who come every year for world class sport, music and shopping, and there are plans for over 7,000 new homes, 500,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space and 630,000 sq ft of offices.

The food brands on offer in Boxpark Wembley are hip, cool and a bit quirky-different, including Kool Cha (North Indian cuisine), Hola Guacamole (Mexican), Ugly Dumpling (Chinese) and Zia Lucia (Italian).

The beauty of a street food concept in a location like this is that it caters for groups with diverse food tastes and wants. Most can relate to the experience of traipsing around restaurants after a gig with a bunch of friends examining menus and trying to find one that caters for the vegan, coeliac and meat lover in the group. Quick, minimum fuss and inexpensive.

Where the Wembley site is really a bit different though is in the “play” part of the Eat Drink Play offer. A leisure theme bar on-site called Playbox features a giant shuffle board unit, day-glo table tennis, pool and football tables. A bit like an adult playground, with the aim of course of keeping people in the facility as long as possible in this wonderfully immersive food, drink and entertainment experience.

More info on YouTube and Wembley Box Park.

Effective Leadership

“Leading an organisation is as much about soul as it is about systems. Effective leadership finds its source in understanding.”

Herb Kelleher, Founder, Southwest Airlines (1931-2019)

Out with the old, in with the … nothing

At this time of the year, it can feel like a siege mentality sets in with a relentless focus on “New Year, New You” and the dizzying prospect of a new improved version of yourself.

And after watching Marie Kondo tidying up American homes on Netflix (quote of the year; “We really are messed up”, Husband, Episode 1), I realise that there are probably quite a few things that don’t give us much joy in our house either. And a lot of them are in our food cupboards. We hang on to bits of foodstuffs – particularly ambient, shelf stable items – in a similar way to how we retain our other possessions. The “I’ll use it sometime” philosophy.

Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (2014) and Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up (2016) espouses her philosophy on mastering the space that you live in through tidying, and making it a place that nourishes rather than oppresses. According to the authors Kon Mari Method, items in your home need to be either useful or give you joy. Cue jokes about chucking out the boyfriend, utility bills, actually the entire contents of your home. Her rather unique approach also includes thanking your possessions for their service before discarding and what to some might seem an obsessively elaborate form of folding which leaves your drawers arranged so prettily that you just can’t stop looking at them.

But there is a truth in all of this, about letting go of things. A good old-fashioned spring clean.

Objectively, I know that the paprika seasoning I bought for that casserole dish once upon a time will never be used again, or at least not within its use by date, simply because spicy food is not well received in our household of plain food fans. Baking items are another case in point; ingredients too frequently bought for a specific recipe on a one-off basis which then sit for months in a cupboard before eventually being thrown out. I’ve also lost count of the number of forgotten purchases I’ve found at the back of the fridge.

This is one of the reasons why meal kits and subscriptions have become so popular in the past couple of years, where meals are supplied ready prepared to eat or with the components to make it yourself.

The elimination of wastage, of shopping for hard to find ingredients and the sheer convenience of being able to outsource what to many is a chore has led to an explosive growth in this market. Meal kits were actually the fastest growing food channel in the US in 2018, with total sales of $2.2bn, according to data house Nielsen.

Food for thought…

The Three Biscuiteers

A friend of mine working in one of Dublin’s top legal firms recently drew my attention to the latest trend in corporate gifting. Not pieces of bog oak. Not wine or whiskey. Not crystal glasses.

Bankers and lawyers are now gifting …. biscuits.

But these are not ordinary biscuits. They are hand made and exquisitely iced. The packaging is super premium and luxurious and designed to make the recipient feel very special. You can buy single biscuits all the way through to sharing boxes (and biscuit bouquets).

In the interests of research (and because I always include a Santa present for myself under the tree) I decided to try this out and recently bought a biscuit from the seasonal range on offer from Honeywell Biscuit Company.

My personalized Christmas tree bauble (costing £16.63 including postage) arrived on November 19th. The presentation is beautiful with the packaging alone a delight and every detail considered. The flat box fitted easily through my letterbox and the sturdy (yet pretty) box ensured that my immaculately iced biscuit arrived intact.

Expensive? Yes.
Indulgent? Without a doubt.
An ideal present? Absolutely.

Biscuit favours are becoming increasing popular and can be fashioned for any occasion, whether it’s weddings, children’s parties, Christenings or corporate gifting. As we are becoming an occasion-oriented society, with celebrations for just about everything, it is easy to see why small yet durable pieces of edible art are becoming a “thing”. From a corporate perspective it shows just enough thought, without being too personal, and with little risk of offending.

From my own perspective as a “giftee” I always sighed when I opened yet another bottle of red wine (gives me a headache) or whiskey (have never liked hard liquor). Happily someone benefitted as I usually passed them on for the office raffle at Christmas!

The reality is that gifting can be risky. Buying a gift means you have to place yourself into the shoes of the recipient, sometimes someone not well known to you (a colleague or acquaintance). Fun and playful biscuits which present just enough – but not too much – of a “surprise” can solve real gifting problems.

The role of packaging and presentation in all of this, of course, is key. Great packaging is a given and beautiful presentation creates excitement and delight. Given the standardization of the corporate gifting market the uniqueness of a beautifully presented and slightly novelty item which engages the senses and has had a bit of thought invested, is very tempting.

London based Biscuiteers is slightly more high end and their Christmas range features everything from snowglobes to a nativity box of biscuits. This company also runs workshops where you learn to ice your own creations. Starting at £45 for a 1.5 hour session these are not cheap but the idea of being expertly guided through the delicate icing process and bringing home one’s own work is rather appealing.

Following some additional research, I was surprised at the large number of companies specializing in personalized biscuits in the UK. These include Biscuit Village, The Bespoke Biscuit Company, The Cake Store, The Biscuiterie, Biccies and others.

Coming up to the Christmas shopping period this got me thinking about how seasonal food gifting has evolved over the years. Hampers have long been popular of course, but has food gifting moved on from this? Is there a need to be more personal, quirky, thoughtful?

Recent figures from the US market show that just under half of the population regularly purchase speciality food gifts, particularly at key buying occasions such as Christmas. Not surprisingly chocolate leads the way in food gifting accounting for 28% of purchases. But this was closely followed by baked goods as gifts at 19% of the market. In Ireland, with online shopping for gifts on the rise (total gifting spend online by individual was €448 in Christmas 2017), food items could be the perfect alternative for easy, risk-free presents.

 

“Money can’t buy you love, but it can get you some really good chocolate ginger biscuits.” Dylan Moran

Two Days in Paris

There are some simple things which the French do very, very well. One is macarons – allegedly very tricky to make (more on this later). Another is style – Paris really trumps London in its wonderful character and ambience, where ordinary streets are elevated by their chic shopfronts and quirky interiors.

SIAL Trade Show

I was in Paris to attend the SIAL Food Show. This is a giant behemoth of a show with over 7,200 exhibitors from 119 countries and 310,000 visitors, of which 73% came from outside of France this year. The 2018 show had a vibrant and upbeat atmosphere (as compared with 2016, which was a little subdued with strict security arrangements in place following the Paris bomb attacks). Security is still tight but less intrusive.

This year’s show saw a number of innovations including the Alter’Native Food Forum, dedicated to sharing trends and knowledge on new healthier foods, and also Future Lab, which focused on food forecasting and what we might be eating in 2030. An immersive walk-through tunnel explored four major food trends as follows:
• Alternative proteins
• Personalisation of food and health products
• Robots and artificial intelligence: the chef of the future
• Transparency and traceability: knowing where our food comes from

My prize for most eye-catching stand at SIAL has go to Camelicious from Dubai which sported a very life like mascot!

There was a strong showing at this year’s SIAL show from Irish food companies which featured in four different halls. This included a presence for the first time in the Confectionery Hall. Exhibitors here included Cork biscuit company Hassetts Bakery, gluten free specialists Goodness Grains, Waterford fine food company Lismore, cake supplier Coolmore Foods and jam specialists Follain.

Paris Gastronomy

My French sojourn wasn’t confined to the trade show and, armed with a few tips from friends and colleagues, I spent a few very pleasant hours checking out Paris gastronomy. My first port of call was the new Printemps du Gout food concept within Printemps flagship department store on Bvd Haussmann. A former colleague based in Paris had recommended a visit, and it didn’t disappoint.

Open since 10th January 2018, it consists of two floors of what could be best described as curated French delicacies. Located at the top of the men’s store, one floor features Fine Foods – the best of artisanal French produce – with iconic products on offer including the Maison du Chocolat, in addition to Maison Balme truffles, Byzance caviar and smoked salmon, Dubernet foie gras and more.

The second floor – called Market Place – brings together other specialities, tastings, workshops and opportunities to meet producers, artisans, winemakers and chefs from France. These include France’s most creative chefs and artisan bakers including Akrame Benallal, Gontran Cherrier, Laurent Dubois and Christophe Michalak (pictured below).

The décor is both modern and sumptuous and, with each artisan having their own dedicated tasting area, feels like a luxurious food market.

Paris is of course chock a block with fabulous “eat with your eyes” shops, such as Aux Deux Caneles near Chatelet (a canelé is a cork shaped pastry from Bordeaux with a caramelized crust and soft middle).

Maxim Chocolates flagship store in the Louvre is an exercise in downright decadence.

As a fan of bagels, I also checked out the chain Bagelstein (outlets nationwide in France and Belgium) which specialises in all things bagel, their mini bagel boxes are a treat.

Even relatively ordinary neighbourhood boulangeries such as Maison Marnay in Les Halles have fabulous ranges and very affordable prices.

La Guinguette d’Angele serves gourmet takeaway food from one of the tiniest shop fronts I have ever seen.

The Marlette “bio” café is a particularly interesting concept store, located in the The BHV Marais department store, which is located close to Notre Dame. Dubbed “the Parisian’s favourite”, this 6th storey department store was extensively renovated in 2014 and now rivals its more well known competitors quite comfortably. Marlette is a French organic baking kit supplier and this café sells both their organic baking kits and the finished product in a location which has stunning views of Paris. The chocolate fondant – so rich I couldn’t finish it – is a particular speciality.

On the macaron front, by the way, the most intriguing offering I discovered (and there are quite a few) was Monsieur Benjamin in Les Halles, an art pastry shop which treats pastries as artistic endeavors. This is quite simply macaron heaven!

For a few more suggestions, including the legendary Laduree and Pierre Herme, check out this link, Best Macarons in Paris.

Paris – best enjoyed unhurried and with a large pastry.

Sourdough Revolution

Source: Bread Nation

Sourdough September

September’s annual celebration of sourdough breads presented a great opportunity for Ireland’s bread makers to highlight the best of bread baking. Members of Real Bread Ireland gave away starter kits throughout the month and hosted events around the country to share their secrets and demystify what can seem to many to be a daunting process.

Sourdough is a traditional type of bread that people used before the industrialization of bread making. The raising agent used to make sourdough (known as a starter) is made with just a handful of ingredients – flour, water and salt. The naturally occurring yeast and bacteria then ferments the dough over time which gives the bread its distinctive and mildly sour taste.

History of Sourdough

While sourdough bread has become fashionable of late, it is actually one of the oldest forms of leavened bread with an exceptionally long history which can be traced back to the Egyptians.

Sourdough bakers tend to pride themselves on the longevity of their “mother doughs”. One of the oldest and best known of these is claimed by the famous Boudin Bakery in San Francisco, whose starter supposedly originated in 1849. Indeed, sourdough has long been associated with the 1849 gold prospectors on the US west coast (known as the 49ers).

Breakfast Revolution

The current interest levels in sourdough can be linked to what some commentators describe as the “Breakfast Revolution”. From pancakes with caramelised bananas to avocado toast, artisan breakfasts made a comeback to our menus in 2017.

According to the US National Restaurant Association 72% of adults want restaurants to serve all-day breakfasts. Restaurants are increasingly adapting their menus to serve interesting breakfast-inspired options that can be available throughout the full day.

Sourdough in Space?

German start up company Bake In Space even has plans to take sourdough to space. Traditionally breads (apart from tortilla) have been banned from space missions because crumbs can damage the station’s equipment and even the astronauts themselves. To address this, Bake in Space is working with the German Aerospace Centre to develop a dough mixture and baking process that produces a crumb free bread. As well as this the company plans to send a yeast culture to the International Space Station that the astronauts will use to create sourdough from which it is planned to establish a line of made-in-space breads (back on planet Earth).

Ireland’s Sourdough Bakers

Some of Ireland’s best known sourdough bakers include the Bretzel Bakery, Tartine Bakery and The Firehouse Bakery. A new arrival to the sourdough scene is Bread 41 which recently opened on Dublin’s Pearse Street. Bread 41 is an organic bakery with a flour mill on site and a 44-seat café. The bakery’s sourdough range includes wholegrain, malt and rye variants. Like many other bakeries, they will also offer classes to aspiring bakers to meet the rising interest in bread making.

Source: Bread Nation

Recreating the Sourdough Experience at Home

With many seeking to recreate their out of home dining experiences in their own kitchens, there is currently huge interest in learning how to bake breads. Waterford based Clodagh O’Neill has been baking sourdough breads for the past 2 years from a self-made starter. A seasoned baker, she describes her approach to sourdough baking as follows: “Firstly the starter is fed overnight with water and strong flour (this is essential to create the bubbles).”

“The dough then takes 4 to 6 hours to make, only kneading a few times.”

“Finally place it to rest in the fridge overnight before baking”.

Clearly this is a slow, unhurried process – baking at its best! The long fermentation process makes sourdough breads more easily digestible than mainstream alternatives, and less likely to cause food intolerances.

If you missed out on the free giveaways in September, this Sourdough Recipe from specialist UK baker Vanessa Kimball is a great start. The Bretzel Bakery also has a video with their head baker demonstrating how to make a Sourdough Loaf. And let us not forget the visual appeal of a great sourdough. US Food blogger Shanna Mallon has compiled a list of 22 Sourdough Bakers to follow on Instagram.

Happy baking!