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).

News items

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

A short film by Barney Jones.

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.  Further details from Leicester City Council.

Ching's Chinese Kitchen

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

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 recently 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.

The six part series, opened on BBC2 at 8:30pm on Monday, 7th July with the not-to-be-missed programme on Monday 14th July.

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.

Paul's Bakery in British Baker magazine

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My most admired brand

- 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.

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.

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

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 support the following events...

The National Forest Wood Fair

Monday 29^th August, 2005 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

Sunday 2^nd and Monday 3^rd 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.

Melton Mowbray Market Town Week

Monday 3^rd to Friday 7^th 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 4^th May for the Ploughman's Platter event and a Breadmaking Workshop.  The Ploughman's Platter will be judged on the morning of Friday 7^th 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!

Summer Gathering

Thursday 3^rd to Sunday 6^th 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.

Further details available here.

Leamington Peace Festival

Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th June, 2004.

Now in its 26^th 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

Work with us!

Do you have a yen to mix with our yang and work for whirled peas?  Then please check this page regularly and also www.environmentjob.co.uk

Currently, we have a vacancy for a:

• Fresh Produce Manager

  Managing all aspects of fresh produce to Soil Association standards.
   
  Fork lift licence desirable or training given.  Duties involve SOPs for palletised goods inwards, QC, stock control, cold storage, order collation & vehicle loading.
   
  To help ensure the smooth running of our 'box' home delivery scheme.
   
  This is a full time, permanent position, based at Melton Mowbray, with a salary of £15,000.
   
  Good luck!

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