Teaching Talent

After a career in health and social care, spanning both clinical and management roles, primarily supporting people with mental ill health, it was time for a rest, Ian took the plunge in 2013 and re-trained as a real bread baker.

The seeds of this radical life change were sown growing up, with a mum who made all of the families bread. Ian dabbled over the years making his own, with mixed results. A chance visit to a real bread bakery in Lyme Regis and a one day bread course got him thinking.

Fast forward a few years and Ian bought his wife a patisserie course at The School of Artisan Food. She loved the place, casually mentioned there was a year long course in bread and said “why don’t you do it?”

A few short months later and Ian was starting the Advanced Diploma at The School.

At the end of an amazing and inspiring course, plans were ready and within three months Knead Good Bread Artisan Bakery was born. Knead Good Bread ran successfully for eight years, building a real bread community in its rural Leicestershire location. The bakery grew and evolved over that time operating weekly pop ups from “The Bread Bus” in different villages, the addition of a wholesale offering and latterly a subscription and delivery model.

Ian always aimed to spread the word with ‘breaducation’ initially in his bakery and then more widely in the community, online and at The School of Artisan Food, where he teaches a number of short courses and was a founding tutor on the Foundation Degree in Artisan Food Production. He has developed a real passion for the therapeutic aspects of bread making and enjoys sharing the lessons he learned from establishing and running his own bakery.

The bread journey Ian embarked on, came full circle as he became The School of Artisan Food’s Managing Director from 2022 to 2024, whilst also continuing to teach on a part time basis.