We never really thought about soda bread in the context of sustainable baking until we got involved with Science Week 2024.
We were approached by the School of Education at Trinity College who are part of the LEVERS project, a European-funded project, aiming to work with communities across Ireland on climate action activities. This project has teamed up with Westport Tidy Towns, and Edible Landscape Project through the One Westport Group.
https://www.tcd.ie/education/research/research-projects/levers/
https://www.facebook.com/westporttidytowns/
https://www.ediblelandscapeproject.ie/
https://www.facebook.com/theediblelandscapeproject/
https://www.onewestport.ie/
We were delighted to be part of this initiative and all had a great day on Saturday, November 9th. Twenty people joined us for our workshop, themed, “Baking in Sustainability” with a focus on regeneration and reigniting our traditions. White soda scones and brown soda bread were baked while chatting and getting an insight into our food heritage and traditions.
The day was a great reminder to us, not to relegate culture and tradition as merely a sign of times gone past, but see it as a way of developing sustainably into the future. That traditional knowledge that has been passed down through generations can help us to re-evaluate how we produce and consume food.
Food production in the 20th century has resulted in mechanisation, use of fertilizers and pesticides. Much of supermarket bread is ultra-processed containing many additives, emulsifiers, and preservatives. It was good to be reminded that many culinary traditions such as Irish Soda Bread are actually sustainable by nature.
Soda bread has four natural ingredients, flour, buttermilk, a pinch of salt ( to enhance flavour) and bicarbonate of soda (bread soda). Traditionally, it was baked ( and eaten) every day. It is best eaten fresh on the day ( no additives!) or can be toasted the next day. Alternatively, it can be frozen as scones or quarters and taken out of the freezer a few hours before eating.
When we thought about it further many of our baking practices at The Irish Soda Bread Way are sustainable too! Hopefully, we can offset our carbon footprint in some small way.
• We source local / ”Buy Irish”/ Fairtrade ingredients as far as possible
• We use reusable bakeware ( no disposables)
• We use silicone baking mats that can be washed and reused ( rather than greaseproof paper)
• We save butter wrappers that can be used for greasing baking tins
• There is never any food waste as all that is baked is eaten!
• We have the use of an energy-efficient oven in the lovely Clew Bay Hotel
• We plan precisely what ingredients are needed, so no waste.
A big Thank You to Mairead Hurley of TCD who organised the event. Thanks also, to Anita Furey of Teagasc and Caitriona Mc Carthy of The Edible Landscape Project who joined us on the day.
Our appreciation as always of the wonderful staff in The Clew Bay Hotel, James Street Westport. and to the ever professional Westport based photographer Michael Mc Laughlin.
https://www.clewbayhotel.com/
GRMAA Go raibh mile maith agaibh
L. to R. Dr.Mairéad Hurley, Mary Kelly, Carmel Healy, Dr. Anita Furey, Caitriona Mc Carthy
