The Sourdough Exchange &
Talk with Dr Vanessa Kimbell
Saturday 27 September 2pm - 5pm
A sourdough exchange is far more than swapping a single loaf. It’s an exchange of microbes, knowledge, and community — and you’re invited to take part.
Hosted by Dr Vanessa Kimbell — baker, researcher, and author — this afternoon combines an in-depth talk, Q&A, and a community bread exchange with tasting. Vanessa will share her long-loved starter (begun when she was 11, from the south of France) and bakes made with the Bristol Meadow Blend. She will explore how to bake in ways that support farmers and biodiversity, why diversity in grains matters for the gut microbiome, and insights from her research for Proven on gut and mental health. She will live-mill Bristol Meadow Blend flour and bake with it, showing how long fermentation and botanical diversity shape flavour, digestibility, and our wider health.
The Talk
About Dr Vanessa Kimbell
Dr Vanessa Kimbell holds a Doctorate in Lifestyle Medicine & Preventative Healthcare with a specialism in bread, nutrition, and mental health. She is an international best-selling author of five books and is currently working on her sixth, Proven. Her work connects farmers, millers, bakers, clinicians, and researchers to reimagine bread as both cultural heritage and a vehicle for better health and biodiversity.
We look forward to a thoughtful, delicious, and truly communal afternoon.
THE SOURDOUGH EXCHANGE
HOW TO TAKE PART
• Bake a loaf to share. It doesn’t have to be elaborate; if it’s sourdough, we ask that it’s long, slow fermented.
• Wrap your loaf. Use a large piece of tissue paper and place it in a clean cloth bag you don’t mind leaving behind.
• Label your loaf clearly on a large luggage label, securely attached. Please include:
– Full list of ingredients.
– Number of fermentation hours.
– Your name.
– Your social media (Instagram and X/Twitter).
– A short note on what this loaf means to you.
• Place and exchange. On arrival, place your loaf on the exchange table. You may not meet the person who takes your loaf, but you will pick up another in return. After the event, please thank the baker whose bread you received.