Sam's version of the sourdough story

Back in 1985, our desire was to develop a range of sourdough breads to complement our growing range. Our aim was to keep things simple and authentic, so what better than to learn from a local German baker who was on the point of retirement and had a wish to keep his cherished culture alive and kicking for years to come. I went to see Herr Ferdinand, who was baking in Tetbury at the time, and he gave me a sourdough rye masterclass, telling me all about how he made his sourdough breads. His passing gift to me was a portion of his sourdough starter, which he had brought to Gloucestershire from Germany in 1955, and this formed the base of the culture we have been using ever since, feeding and nurturing it every day. The starter has a beautifully tangy flavour, and has been embellishing the texture and enlivening the crust of many 1000s of sourdough loaves since we started to use it. In our turn, 100s of enthusiastic home bakers have received a jar of this very sourdough starter, and they just love to share their own stories and pictures of the breads they have created. We are delighted to be celebrating its 60^th birthday in June 2015, and our desire is to keep the culture flowing for another 60 years and beyond.