Dear Students,
As the term ends, thank you for a fantastic year. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed teaching and sharing knowledge with you, and I’m incredibly proud of everyone’s bakes. I also enjoy seeing so many students doing amazing things, and your Instagram posts are always a joy.
I also have some exciting updates and opportunities to share with everyone. I’ve been working on making attending the School more affordable and have decided to end the Certificate Bake for Health. The Certificate was the first course I taught online, and it is over a decade old now, so it feels odd to say goodbye to it. It has, however, become clear that most of my students are just as interested in the personalisation part of the Diploma. If we are going to improve bread, then this part is the most important part of understanding, and making this less accessible has felt at odds with my social justice values. I have therefore decided to teach all the knowledge in one course – The Diploma and I will be upgrading all current students in September. This will happen automatically, and you are not obliged to do this extra module, but welcome to do so if you wish.
For Alumni Students
We have alumni student places should you want to rejoin, and I will be delighted to see you. For anyone who has attended the School on an in person course and you would like to join For more information on The Diploma, please take a look here.
Genetic Testing
In January 2025, as part of our course on the nutrition and digestibility of bread, we will be conducting genetic testing provided by Lifecode Gx. This test will form a crucial component of our syllabus for this next academic year, and it will cover the genetic influences on nutrition and digestion.
The genetic test from Lifecode Gx is a saliva-based analysis that focuses on nutrigenomics, which is the study of how our genetic makeup affects our response to nutrients. This test will provide insights into various genetic factors that influence our health, including how well we absorb and utilise specific nutrients like vitamins and minerals, how we metabolise substances such as caffeine, and our susceptibilities to conditions like gluten intolerance and lactose intolerance.
I will be making these tests available to book in the next few weeks as stand-alone consultations with a payment plan. I will begin to use them in January 2025.
Upcoming Three-Day Workshops and Six-Day Retreats
I am excited to announce I have added some standalone courses for 2025 – you all have a 24 hour heads up before I send the dates out to the newsletter and the social media:
- Three-Day Workshops: Focused, hands-on sessions diving into specific aspects of sourdough baking.
- Six-Day Retreats: A tranquil escape to deepen your baking skills and rejuvenate your passion
I have added a payment plan for the workshops and the retreats and am offering a flexible payment plan to make it easier for you to join.
Graduation Week in Tuscany Invitation
I am extending the Graduation week in Tuscany to all Alumni students.
If you’d like to join, please see the details here. This is a hugely subsidised course at just £500. You can expect a wonderfully relaxed week, complete with professional guidance and beautiful photography.
I’d also like to remind Students who are booked for the week in Tuscany that if your aim is to bake your graduation recipe – please see the instructions here.
For those joining the Graduation Week, we will start a WhatsApp group next week. Please keep an eye out and accept your request.
End-of-Term Notes
Thank you again for a wonderful term. I’ll be available on Tuesday at 4 pm via Zoom. Although it’s my holiday, I’ll be on the call, out and about, to assist anyone who needs help. I prefer this mode of communication over email for its immediacy and personal touch.
Enrolment for Next Term
Enrolment on the Diploma for the next term will begin on Tuesday, 24th September, with full teaching resuming on Tuesday, 1st October. The first few weeks will be dedicated to helping new students acclimate and going over the syllabus again.
For our second-year students, there will be additional work and opportunities to deepen their knowledge, especially with the increased number of students this year. I’m looking forward to pushing your understanding further.
Kindest regards
Vanessa
