South West Grain Network Harvest Celebration and Bakers peer-to-peer skill share.

South West Grain Network Harvest Festival 

Sunday 5th October!

12-5pm

&

 Baker peer-to-peer skill share 

Monday 6th October!

9-4pm

Join us in celebrating the abundance!

The SWGN has so much to celebrate; from great friendships, deepening connection, warm bread, buttery treats, epic fields of wheat, back garden farms, commoning of knowledge, radical transformation of extractive systems, the glorious sunshine and blessed rain!

We will gather on Sunday 5th October for a shared feast, time to socialise and delight in the sweet joys and troubles of the season passed.

In the evening on Sunday we will get down to business mixing dough to greet the new True SW Flour freshly harvested, cleaned, dried and milled!

Then Monday 6th October we have a baker's only event to dig deep into learning the character and flavour of this year's True SW Flour. This will be a day to offer freely how, as a network of individuals, we can come together to share our knowledge and wisdom, to encourage us each to be happier and stronger in our baking and our community. Monday has a special reservation for the True SW farmers and millers, who can join the workshop to learn some baking skills and witness the brilliant technical skill of our bakers as well as deepen bonds of friendship and trust, sharing in each other's knowledge and enthusiasm.

Farmers, Bakers, Millers - each has such precious and unique knowledge and this last year of visits and exchange has been enthralling.

Practical details…

Where

St Sidwells Bakehouse, Sidwell St, Exeter, Devon, EX4 6NN

When

Sunday 5th October, Bring a dish - Harvest Festival 

Monday 6th October, Bakers peer-to-peer True SW Deep Dive

Cost

We are keeping prices low to make this accessible, however if you feel able to make an additional donation to the network to support our ongoing work is much appreciated. This donation can be made by clicking the donation box under the ticket section or when you navigate into Open Collective. Feel free to un-click the donation Open Collective will invite you to give to their platform.

Timings

Sunday 5th October 

• 12:00 - Arrivals
• 13:00 - Food and socials - (bring a dish to share)
• 16:00 - Bakers start their first mixing  which will be left overnight to prove
• 17:00 - Evening social and drinks.

Monday 6th October 

• 09:00 -  Arrivals/Coffee
• 09:30-Mix various bread doughs / cakes / pastries with TSW, ambient prove everything
• 13:00 - Lunch  (lunch is provided on this day),
• 14:00 - Baking and tasting
• 16:00 - Close

What to bring

A dish to share on Sunday for the feast, items to add to the hearth - we will be creating a hearth to celebrate the beauty and abundance of the year, so please bring items to add to this - soil, sheaths of wheat, seeds, flour, baked goods, jams, chutneys, flowers, tools - whatever symbolises the harvest for you.

Sunday is a bring and share feast

Please bring a dish to share! 

Savoury or sweet

Aims

Sunday - The first day is a space for all; to celebrate, come together, feast and enjoy. It is a space to consider your role in the South West Grain Network, what our network aims are as well as an opportunity to ask questions, to learn about the growing, the milling and the baking within this radical alternative grain economy we are so beautifully co-creating. After the feast and fun we shift into mixing and lastly we can enjoy some refreshments at the nearby Topsham Brewery (or BYO to enjoy in the bakery)

Monday - A full day of baking very specifically to deep dive into the properties of the 2025 True South West Flour harvest and really get to know the flour and how best to work with it, sharing bakers experience and knowledge. 

We are offering a range of tickets for this event to try and enable as many to attend as possible.  All are welcome for theSunday.

The intention for Monday is that this is a mixed ability group who will get very nerdy about hydration, temperature, mixes etc and is best suited to a serious or novice baker with a desire to use the True South West Flour and a willingness to share their knowledge. We are reserving spaces for the farmers and millers of the TSWF for the Monday if they want to stay and learn.

Special Thanks to St Sidwells for hosting us

True South West Flour Project

Famers Annie, Heloise, Jimmi, George, Duncan and David have been growing fields of YQ and Mariagertoba population wheats which have then been milled by Ollie and Michael at Cann Mill. The flour is branded as ‘True South West Flour’ (TSWF). The access to the seed and the opportunity to be a part of this project is through the SWGN. To support the growth and continuation of the network a levy is paid on each ton of grain moving through the network from field to loaf. Bakers across the UK are looking to this flour for its unique qualities and providence. Bakers have been learning how to work with this stoneground diverse wheat flour for two seasons now and in this third year we are hoping this event can help to collate and share some of that learning.

Questions:

If you have any question please contact Robyn on swgrainnetwork@gmail.com