Soyfoods Ltd
66 Snow Hill
Melton  Mowbray
Leics  LE13 1PH
logo: We import, produce and deliver food you can trust
Tel:       
FAX:
01664  560572
01664  410345
Email: info@soyfoods.co.uk   
Web: www.soyfoods.co.uk
              

Privacy Policy

Our General Data Protection Regulation policy is available here (88kB PDF).  No cookies are used at this website.

Soyfoods Equipment for Expansion and Innovation

Our business has consistently expanded but demand has increased so much in recent years that we haven't been able to produce enough.  The new equipment we are installing in 2021 with the support of the ERDP Growth Programme will enable us to expand production and further improve quality.  We can develop new products, based on traditional Japanese and far eastern artisan methods; work with local farmers to source more ingredients in the UK; and hope to employ more staff.  There will also be significant improvements in energy efficiency — for example, our new gas-fired oven uses 80% less energy than the old electric unit.
 
EU flag and funding statement (37.5kB)

Compostable Packaging:  Great News!

We are now offering our breads in compostable packaging which breaks down quickly.  As these bags are made from plant materials they can be composted in your household waste, leaving no harmful residues.

Ancient and Modern:  Sourdough bread made with locally grown Biodynamic wheat varieties from Jo Bradley

Hungary Lane Farm has been growing Heirloom wheat varieties for several years.  The Heritage wheat mix includes Red Lammas; Kent Old Hoary; Old Kent Red; Orange Devon Blue Rough Chaff; Maris Widgeon; Squarehead's Master and others.

Jo has been trialling a modern variety from Germany.  Nelson is a relatively new introduction to the Organic Winter Wheat seed market, first spotted during early trials in 2011.

Photo: Jo Bradley (44kB)

We've made our sourdough Ancient and Modern bread for you with a 50:50 mix in a 20 hour process.  The whole grains are stoneground with our Samap mills.  The past becomes the future!

Biodynamic eggs

Hola!  Just a reminder that we supply super eggs from Jo Bradley at Hungary Lane Farm.  Perfect for your huevos rancheros.

Photo: Biodynamic eggs (35kB)

Paul's Pickles

Naturally fermented pro-biotic lactic acid pickles.  All organic, of course.  Dr Lejla Kazinic Kreho states that research at King's College shows pickled cabbage is the best natural viagra.  We couldn't possibly comment, but you can see lots of snaps of Paul's pickle making and get in touch to order your own supply.  This autumn, Paul's Pepperoncini Pickles have proven perfectly palatable – accompanying everything from ploughman's to pot meals.

Ethical Consumer Product Guide To Bread

Paul's Bakery is pleased to inform you of its Best Buy rating for bread in Ethical Consumer's Ethical shopping guide to Bread, for March/April 2013.

Ethical Consumer co-editor Rob Harrison said:  "Ethical Consumer's best buy advice only identifies companies whose overall ranking on ethical and sustainability issues is in the top ten per cent of its sector.  Paul's achieved the status of best buy in recognition of its work on bread."

Salt content of Paul's bakery products

We wish to reassure customers that loaves from Paul's in Melton Mowbray are made with a low level (1%) of salt, or none at all.  There has been some confusion with the products of Paul UK Ltd, who have shops in London, due to the media coverage following the findings of the Consensus Action on Salt & Health (CASH) survey of salt content in bread, released on 2nd September 2011.

Hannah Brinsden (ANutr), Nutritionist with Consensus Action on Salt & Health at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine wrote (in part): "Congratulations to Paul's Bakery in Melton Mowbray for their hard work in this area and their support of the Real Bread Campaign."

At the foot of the CASH report there is now the following ammendment:

"NB: The French-owned bakery chain PAUL UK Ltd (here referred to as 'PAUL') is in no way connected with Paul's Bakery (AKA Pauls and Paul's) the independent organic bakery in Melton Mowbray.  CASH did not look at Paul's Bakery loaves and the baker has advised CASH that his loaves all meet the FSA's 1% salt target."

Photographs

Our photo album includes pages of snaps of Paul's Bakery, Tofu Production and events during 2007 including the Southwell Ploughing Match & Show.  Andy Forbes of the Brockwell Bake joined us for the National Forest Wood Fair on August Bank Holiday, 2009.  Andy's photos from the day are included in his inspiring cob oven website (backtrack through that gallery to see Nigel Moon's windmill at Whissendine in Rutland in action).

Flashback: 1976

Here's Paul, baking at the last Barsham Faire.  Catch him at the start of Minstrel Films' record of the event, which may be watched at the University of East Anglia's East Anglian Film Archive.

Photo: Paul baking in 1976 (113kB)  
 
Photo: Desmond and Paul baking in 1976 (123kB)

Heritage wheats

A trip to London with the wood-fired bread oven, with a visit to Andrew Forbes' trials of heritage wheats.  Click the control below the photo to hear a brief discussion.

Photo: Paul inspecting heritage wheat (138kB)

Paul (L) inspects a trial crop of heritage wheats with Andrew Forbes, June 2010.
 

Events

Harby Country Show & Working Weekend

We were at Harby Country Show & Working Weekend on the 8th & 9th September, 2012.  This is the annual rally and show of the Vale of Belvoir Working Machinery Group, where you can see threshing, sawing, tractor-pulling, ploughing, heavy horse demonstrations and maybe even a pizza made with your own fair hands, baked to perfection in our wood-fired oven.  More information from the Vale of Belvoir Machinery Group.  Here are some photos from the 2011 show.

Hoveringham Vintage Vehicle Society Rally & Show

Sunday, 29th May 2011 found us at Hoveringham, between Nottingham and Newark.  Wheat was threshed and freshly milled to be made into edible artworks and baked in our wood-fired oven, with monetary contributions going to the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance.  The whole event raised over £5,000 for the Air Ambulance and Rutland House School for Parents.

Photo: threshing at Hoveringham

Here are some more snaps from the day.

Feast on the Bridge

Saturday, 11th September 2010 – Feast on the Bridge, part of the Mayor's Thames Festival.

We were on Southwark Bridge with the Brockwell Bake as part of London's fabulous end-of-summer festival.  Our lactic fermented gherkins formed part of a ploughman's platter, alongside local breads and Stichelton Stilton.  Further details here.

Photo: Paul's pickles at Melton Country Fair (128kB)

Paul's traditional pickles were a big hit at the Melton Country Fair on 27th June, 2010.
 
 

Photo: Paul's pickles at Melton Country Fair (174kB)

Paul's pickles are unpasteurised and so retain their enzymes and beneficial bacteria.

News items

Britain's Food: a viewpoint by Paul Jones, baker

A short film by Barney Jones.

Ching's Chinese Kitchen

Melton's very own Soy Soldiers* appeared on BBC Two's Chinese Food Made Easy!

Soyfoods pioneers Paul 'Tofu' Jones and Peter 'Tempeh' Efemey give Ching some bling to coincide with Beijing (it says here).  Lion Television visited the Rural Capital of Food to film the Tofu-making process after which the delectable Ching-He Huang got her Woks off for some hot Tofu and Edamame stir fry action!

The series aimed to prove that fresh and healthy Chinese cooking is achievable by all of us in the home.  Auntie's press release may be perused here.


 

Vincent Talleu's Woodehouse Loaf

We're unable to embed them here due to the music rights, but you really should see Vince's YouTube videos.  He whips up his Woodhouse loaf using a kefir starter.  If you've got a few minutes spare, there's more awesomeness here.

New sails fitted to Whissendine Windmill

Miller Nigel Moon helps fly the flag for sustainability and the local food economy by restoring Whissendine Windmill to its original power source.  The final pair of sails were fitted on 7th September, 2006 with major funding from English Heritage.

Paul's Bakery is pleased to use flours milled by Nigel at Whissendine Windmill from locally grown organic grain.

Photo: fitting a sail to Whissendine Windmill (9kB) Logo: Nigel Moon, Whissendine Windmill (10kB) Photo: Whissendine Windmill (12kB)
Photo: distant view of Whissendine Windmill (10kB) Photo: interior of Whissendine Windmill (11kB)

Paul's Bakery in British Baker magazine

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My most admired brand

Photo: Paul with a decorated loaf [paul_bread.jpg 10kB] - by Christopher Dawson, Chairman of Clearspring

Paul Jones runs a small craft business, Soyfoods Ltd, in Leicestershire making organic tofu and organic sourdough breads, two products that he pioneered in the UK market in the late 1970s.

I admire his brand not only for its vision and pioneering spirit but because as it has grown over the last 20 years it has consistently stuck to the core principles of the organic movement.

Traditional grains like spelt are preferred to modern hybridised wheats, flour is mostly wind-milled, production is kept to a craft scale and local farmers' markets are a main outlet.  A mobile wood-fired oven tours local schools as an educational project yet the company also reaches out supplying the appetites of companies like Fresh & Wild in London.

In today's commercial marketplace it is refreshing to find a pioneering company still consistently maintaining the highest standards of healthy food production.  I take my hat off to Paul for achieving that.

Tempeh

Photo: tempeh [tempeh-copyright-barney-jones.jpg 167kB]

Europe's earliest known New Age tempeh company was Paul's Tofu & Tempeh, which was in operation by January 1981 – Soyinfo Center: History of Tempeh.

Award for positive environmental initiatives

Regular listeners of Colin Green's Radio Leicester Green Light Programme on a Saturday morning will have no doubt heard that the May, 2001 winner of the Ken Chamberlain Award was local man Paul Jones from Thorpe Arnold.

Paul, owner of Soyfoods Ltd, situated on Snow Hill and based in Melton for over 20 years, was nominated having recently acquired a mobile oven which he brought over from Germany.

Photo: woodburning oven [oven.jpg 8kB] The competition recognises positive environmental initiatives and Paul's mobile oven clearly meets the criteria as it combines a number of useful ideas to teach us about the environment.  For example, it is made of natural materials, i.e. metal, brick and glass, so it is 'appropriate technology'.  It is fuelled by renewable energy in the form of waste wood and as a fuel, wood is 'carbon neutral', as opposed to fossil fuels which release carbon from the earth's carbon bank.

In addition, operating the oven demonstrates food skills that have been largely forgotten with the industrialisation of food and farming - bread making - for which Paul uses only organic cereals from local and family based producers and the milling services of a local windmill.

Paul's whole business aim is to supply and produce fresh, quality, organic food and where possible to use local suppliers, something he feels is particularly important in strengthening the local food economy.

The competition is sponsored by Severn Trent Water, the Leicester Mercury and BBC Radio Leicester and his prize was a cheque for £100 which Paul kindly chose to donate to St Mary the Virgin's Bell Appeal.  At the end of the year the 12 monthly winners will come together for a further award of £1,000 awarded to the overall best project or individual enterprise - so we wish Paul every success.

Thierry's walnut bread is just 'ooh la la'!

- Leicester Mercury, 22 December 2003

Photo: Thierry the baker from Paris [t-lm-450x280-thierry-leicester-mercury.jpg 28kB] CONTINENTAL CUISINE:  Thierry Dhervilliers with some of his traditional French bread ready for the oven.  Photo: Lionel Heap

A FRENCH baker is adding a Continental touch to Melton Mowbray's farmers' market.

Parisian Thierry Dhervilliers first visited the town in October as a guest of Paul Jones, who makes bread and tofu in Snow Hill in Melton.

He has now returned to the town for a six-month stint during which he intends to learn English and teach people there is much more to French bread than just baguettes.  He said: "People in Melton have been amazingly kind and have gone out of their way to help a foreigner who speaks little English.

"One old lady took my arm and helped me across Burton Street because she thought I was lost."

Two of Mr Dhervilliers' specialities have been proving popular with customers at the twice-weekly country markets.  They are the rustic Pain de Campagne and an unusual walnut bread.

Mr Jones said: "The walnut bread has really taken off because it goes so well with Stilton cheese."

In the new year, Mr Dhervilliers hopes to bake bread and croissants straight from Mr Jones' portable oven on site at the market.

His ambition is to open a shop in Melton baking French-style bread and pastries on the premises.

We supported the following events...

Belgrave Hall Good Food Fair

We were there, Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st September, in the grounds of Belgrave Hall Museum, Church Road, off Thurcaston Road, Leicester, to help launch the Leicester Shire Food & Drink Fortnight 2008.

The National Forest Wood Fair

August Bank Holiday Monday at Beacon Hill Country Park, near Loughborough, Leicestershire.

Look out for our woodburning oven and try your hand at some baking.  Then wander off around the other stalls and follow your nose back to us to claim your freshly-baked creation... if we haven't eaten it first!

You deserve a break, so have a read of the press release and look at the leaflet (JPEG image, 147KB) for directions and further details, and we'll hope to see you there!

Leicestershire County Show

Photo: dough-juggling [2-325x245.jpg 17kB] Sunday 2nd and Monday 3rd May, 2004.

From Loughborough take the A6 Derby Road towards Hathern and follow the County Show signs to the Robert Bakewell Showground at Dishley Grange.

Further details from the official website.

Leamington Peace Festival

Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th June, 2004.

Now in its 26th year, this free festival aims to promote peace and equality between people and nations while living in harmony with the environment.  It's an opportunity for artists, campaigners, and community groups to come together to share two days of inspiration and celebration.

Further details from:  www.peacefestival.org.uk

Summer Gathering

Thursday 3rd to Sunday 6th June, 2004.

Hosted by the Macrobiotic Association of Great Britain at Unstone Grange, North Derbyshire, this is the place to be, for Tai Chi, Shiatsu, Yoga, Feng Shui, Shamanic Healing etc., after which you can cool off in the Sweat Lodge.

Melton Mowbray Market Town Week

Monday 3rd to Friday 7th May, 2004.

View some photos!

Paul's Bakery is pleased to be involved with Melton's Bread and Beer Trail.  Come and see us at the Farmers' Market on Tuesday 4th May for the Ploughman's Platter event and a Breadmaking Workshop.  The Ploughman's Platter will be judged on the morning of Friday 7th May, again at the Farmers' Market in the Cattle Market, Scalford Road, Melton Mowbray.

Be there, or be... in the Market Square!

The Market Town Week commences with Maypole Dancing on May Day and includes poetry, exhibitions, talks and walks, the opening of the Tourist Information Centre on King Street, and the presentation of a sculpture entitled "The Two Market Ladies".

Melton Mowbray is well-known for its street walkers markets and cattle market, and is the centre of famed pork pie and stilton cheese production.  Carrying the torch for organic animal-free produce (disregarding whatever may have made its temporary home in a Cos lettuce) are your friends at Soyfoods, incorporating Paul's Tofu and Paul's Bakery.  We look forward to the development of Melton's Market Town Week, with perhaps a tofu vs. pork pie slugging match, similar to the Tomatina tomato-throwing battle held each August in Buñol, Spain.  Only joking!

 

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