Bread Tasting Panel
Bread is great isn't it? It make you toast in the morning, wraps itself round your sandwich at lunchtime and mops up the juices from your steak in the evening. My favourite bread is baked by my brother-in-law and so is sadly not available commercially as when he's not baking he's a GP in his spare time. Even I only get to eat it occasionally. But there are lots of good breads available and Bristol seems to have lots of bakeries where it's possible to buy a loaf baked on the premises that morning.
Supermarket bread is awful - light as cotton wool and about as claggy on the roof of your mouth, it taste likes nothing. And that's the stuff they like you to believe was lovingly hand crafted on the premises (it's not). Don't get me started on the branded breads, or Mother's Shame as my mother used to call it. That's not even worthy of the name of bread. With this in mind I thought it would be interesting to sample a few breads available from independent Bristol bakeries. All loaves are as close as possible to a plain white loaf and are marked out of 5 stars.
Herbert's Bakery
Herberts Bakery, Wellington Avenue, Montpelier, Bristol BS6 5HP open 8am -4pm. Bread available at locations throughout Bristol. See here for a list.
Large Overnight Loaf £1.05
A beautiful, classic split tin white loaf. Slightly salty taste with a fairly dense crumb. A true 'bready' flavour. This is far superior to anything available in supermarkets and would make superb sandwiches or morning toast.
Best for: Bacon sandwiches, Marmite on toast
4.25 stars
Quartier Vert
85 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2NT. Bread only available as aminimumm order of 10 loaves from the restaurant itself (or with your meal). However single loaves are available from other outlets, mostly within Clifton. Try Papadeli across the street on Alma Road.
Organic Pain de Campagne - £1.90
Exquisite round loaf, a perfect example of it's type. A more open crumb with a rustic taste. The flour used is stronger than that for the overnight loaf giving a deeper flavour. Our French panelist said the flavour 'takes me back to France'.
Best for: dipping in olive oil, eating with a meal.
4 stars
The Bread Store
45 Gloucester Road, Bristol, BS7 8AD 8am-5pm
Small White Poppy Seed Loaf 66p
Exactly like a supermarket loaf, it looks to have been steam baked. I wouldn't be surprised if the loaves were bought in unbaked and frozen and then baked on the premises. Just like a supermarket. Tastes of bland whiteness and has that claggy, stick to the roof of your mouth quality I associate with Mother's Shame.
Best for: Feeding the ducks
1.5 stars
Cotham Hill Bakery
8, Cotham Hill, Bristol, Avon BS6 6LF 8am -5pm
Small White Organic Loaf 80p
Very cute looking baby split tin loaf, but- blleargh! What a revolting flavour. Very yeasty, leaving an unpleasant vinegar aftertaste in the mouth. One taster ventures that it might be okay if you toasted it. I say nothing can get rid of that unpleasant taste, not even an inch thick coating of foie-gras. Perhaps it was a bad batch? I am hesitant to think that someone would deliberately make such a revolting loaf.
Best for: Feeding your enemies
1 star for appearance
Supermarket bread is awful - light as cotton wool and about as claggy on the roof of your mouth, it taste likes nothing. And that's the stuff they like you to believe was lovingly hand crafted on the premises (it's not). Don't get me started on the branded breads, or Mother's Shame as my mother used to call it. That's not even worthy of the name of bread. With this in mind I thought it would be interesting to sample a few breads available from independent Bristol bakeries. All loaves are as close as possible to a plain white loaf and are marked out of 5 stars.
Herbert's Bakery
Herberts Bakery, Wellington Avenue, Montpelier, Bristol BS6 5HP open 8am -4pm. Bread available at locations throughout Bristol. See here for a list.
Large Overnight Loaf £1.05
A beautiful, classic split tin white loaf. Slightly salty taste with a fairly dense crumb. A true 'bready' flavour. This is far superior to anything available in supermarkets and would make superb sandwiches or morning toast.
Best for: Bacon sandwiches, Marmite on toast
4.25 stars
Quartier Vert
85 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 2NT. Bread only available as aminimumm order of 10 loaves from the restaurant itself (or with your meal). However single loaves are available from other outlets, mostly within Clifton. Try Papadeli across the street on Alma Road.
Organic Pain de Campagne - £1.90
Exquisite round loaf, a perfect example of it's type. A more open crumb with a rustic taste. The flour used is stronger than that for the overnight loaf giving a deeper flavour. Our French panelist said the flavour 'takes me back to France'.
Best for: dipping in olive oil, eating with a meal.
4 stars
The Bread Store
45 Gloucester Road, Bristol, BS7 8AD 8am-5pm
Small White Poppy Seed Loaf 66p
Exactly like a supermarket loaf, it looks to have been steam baked. I wouldn't be surprised if the loaves were bought in unbaked and frozen and then baked on the premises. Just like a supermarket. Tastes of bland whiteness and has that claggy, stick to the roof of your mouth quality I associate with Mother's Shame.
Best for: Feeding the ducks
1.5 stars
Cotham Hill Bakery
8, Cotham Hill, Bristol, Avon BS6 6LF 8am -5pm
Small White Organic Loaf 80p
Very cute looking baby split tin loaf, but- blleargh! What a revolting flavour. Very yeasty, leaving an unpleasant vinegar aftertaste in the mouth. One taster ventures that it might be okay if you toasted it. I say nothing can get rid of that unpleasant taste, not even an inch thick coating of foie-gras. Perhaps it was a bad batch? I am hesitant to think that someone would deliberately make such a revolting loaf.
Best for: Feeding your enemies
1 star for appearance
posted by Bristol Girl at 10:05 PM
4 Comments:
Excellent article. I will definitely buy the QV bread when having a dinner party.
There's some very nice bread in the farmer's market of a Wednesday morning / arvo. I forget what the people are called, but basically they're the ones who aren't the worthy christian carob munching types. They're up top by the man who sells faggots.
Not the sectarian weirdos?
Yeah. Freaks, the lot of 'em.
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