Early starts in London!

Hi again, it's Clara here!

Six weeks in now and I’m well and truly settled in Paul Rhodes Bakery in London! Work begins at six every morning, however unfortunately with a 40 minute commute everyday it means it starts at 4.30 for me but luckily that also means I get to finish at 3 or 4. This took a while to get used to but after a couple of weeks I was well used to it and really enjoying finishing  work at this time! Unfortunately I haven’t got to use this time to see London as I should have as the early start has caught up on me by then and I'm usually wrecked! 

As an artisan baker I start everyday with making the sourdough starters for that day and also for the following day. I then move onto the breads that will need the most time to proof before baking so I start with a selection of rye breads, the focaccia and some of the other artisanal breads. Then there’s time for a short coffee break before we begin with the highest demanding bread; the London sourdough and then the rest of the breads. 

The production kitchen is very multi-cultural and at the beginning this was a bit of a challenge as there were few people who spoke English as their first language and tended to speak their own language to each other, however after a short time this changed and everyone there is very friendly, easy to work with and very patient and always willing to pull me aside and take the time to explain something to me in detail. They are all aware I am there to learn and they make a big effort to ensure this.

Luckily I do have however weekends off and my favourite thing to do is make my way around to many of the amazing markets in London including Borough market, Southbank centre food market, Camden Market, Greenwich Market and Brixton. The diversity and creativity of the food scene in London is one the reasons I chose here in the first place. These markets offer an array of some of the best street food around, baked goods, fresh produce and have something to suit everyone’s dietary needs and no matter how many times you go back to the same market there is always something different to try. Having been to London before I had already seen many of the sights and main attractions of London and so I wanted to spend more time discovering the food scene.

Over the next six weeks I'm hoping to continue learning what I can in the bakery and maybe manage my time a bit better so that I can get out and see as much of London as I can and experience some of the nightlife!