6-Day Sourdough Retreat: Baking as Lifestyle Medicine (BALM)
Transform Your Health Through the Art of Baking
Join us for an amzing 6-day in-person retreat in Baking as Lifestyle Medicine (BALM). This retreat is not just a course; it’s a journey towards better health and well-being, guided by one of the world’s leading expert in health, bread, nutrition, and digestion of bread, Dr. Vanessa Kimbell. The retreat itself is about baking for the joy of it. A retreat to bake and laugh and de-stress. We have an amazing week planned of sourdough baking, wild swimming, making fruit compotes, cultured butter, fermented cakes and of course, our classic sourdough boules. You will immerse yourself in connecting to the Botanical Blend flour concept this week and make your own blend.
Beautiful surroundings
Set in 2/3 of an acre of beautiful gardens, the school’s tranquil surroundings help participants disconnect from their daily routines and immerse themselves fully in the retreat experience, enhancing relaxation and focus.Total Cost:
- £2999
Limited Numbers
Key Highlights
- Small group of 6
- Hands-on baking sessions with expert guidance.
- Educational demonstrations by Dr. Vanessa Kimbell.
- Exploration of the gut microbiome and its relationship to the planet and its impact on stress and digestion.
- Deep dive into the science and art of sourdough baking.
- Opportunity to create your own sourdough loaves.
Sumary of activities
A full timetable is in the tab below with more details however, here is a summary of the days:
- Tuesday – Introduction to BALM protocol, the gut microbiome, fermentation theory, bake flatbreads, and 10-Minute Sourdough.
- Wednesday – Mix sourdough, visit the Castle Ashby estate, wild swimming, and return to the school to bake loaves.
- Thursday – a visit to a flour mill to understand flour and the difference in milling and Daylesford organic farm shop; discussion on systems and agricultural farming practices, understanding chemicals, organic, regenerative farming, and soil.
- Friday – Mill a botanical blend flour, bake retarded sourdough boules, and learn timings, temperature, and boule shaping techniques.
- Saturday – Your morning is free to shop and rest, then you will bake and learn to score and enjoy an evening feast.
- Sunday – Final baking session, refresh starters, and depart with freshly baked bread
What to Expect:
- Immersive Learning Experience: Dive deep into the world of sourdough with hands-on baking and practical sessions. Learn how to make bread for every day and the ultimate porridge sourdough boule.
- Health and Well-being Focus: Understand how baking can support health in areas such as gut health, cardiovascular health, mental well-being, and more. Engage in discussions about the gut microbiome, fermentation, and the nutritional impact of different ingredients.
- Holistic Activities: Complement your baking sessions with activities designed to enhance your overall well-being. Enjoy wild swimming, visit the renowned Daylesford Farm shop, and explore agro-economics and sustainability in baking.
- Expert Guidance: Benefit from the expertise of Dr. Vanessa Kimbell and other health professionals. Participate in live sessions and discussions that provide a deeper understanding of how BALM can be applied to support various health conditions.
- Community and Connection: Join a supportive and friendly community of like-minded individuals. Share your experiences, learn from others, and build lasting connections.
Who Should Attend:
- Healthcare Professionals: Gain insights into how baking can be integrated into clinical practice to support patients with conditions such as IBS, cardiovascular diseases, chronic constipation, mood disorders, and more.
- Home Bakers: Learn to create delicious, nourishing bread that supports your health and well-being. Understand the science behind fermentation and its benefits.
- Anyone Interested in Health and Nutrition: Discover the transformative power of baking as a therapeutic activity. Whether you are managing a health condition or simply seeking to improve your diet, this retreat offers valuable knowledge and skills.
Endorsements and Testimonials:
- “Vanessa’s work on sourdough and the gut microbiome is changing the way we think of food, health and baking.” – Professor Tim Spector, Founder of Zoe
- “Vanessa’s approach to baking nourishes both the gut and the mind.” – Dr. Michael Mosley
- “This is a journey. And these aren’t just courses. Kimbell wants to change the bread we eat, one loaf at a time. She’s the real deal: a total inspiration.” – Diana Henry, The Telegraph.
Enroll Now:
This is a transformative time that blends the art of baking with the science of health. To learn more about the retreat and how it can support your health and well-being, feel free to call us. Spaces are limited, so secure your spot today and start your journey towards a healthier, more balanced life through baking.
Terms and Conditions
Please take a moment to read our terms and conditions and FAQ’s carefully. Once a booking is made, we do not offer refunds. This policy is in place because you will have reserved a space and received consultation and time from Dr Kimbell for your registration, and the enrollment date has passed.
If you cannot attend the retreat in person, you can participate in the online Bake for Health module from the diploma syllabus in place of your in-person course, in accordance with our terms and conditions.
We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you to our Spring Retreat. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
6 Day Bake For Health Retreat 2026
£2,999.00
“When it comes to gut health, few things rival the impact of baking and sharing diverse, fibre-rich fermented bread as a cornerstone of your daily diet, and when this is coupled with the principles of Lifestyle Medicine, it becomes one of the most powerful preventative health strategies for supporting your family’s health and wellness.” – Vanessa Kimbell
Join us for an unforgettable baking, learning, and wellness week at The Sourdough School. This retreat promises not just an education in sourdough but a holistic experience that transforms your understanding of nourishment.
IN PERSON 1 Week (6 days) Retreat at The Sourdough School – Autumn
COURSE STARTS: Please use the date scroll below to check availability and course dates.
IDEAL FOR: Healthcare professionals, bakers, or anyone interested in health and wellness.
COURSE FEE: £2,999
FOCUS: Baking bread that’s designed for you — informed by your genetics, guided by the BALM Protocol, and created to support a healthy gut.
LEVEL: From beginner.
Before booking please read understanding the course fees: £ 2999
PERSONALISED ELEMENTS: Includes a 45-minute Nutrient Core 1:1 consultation with Dr Vanessa Kimbell before the course, using your Lifecode Gx Nutrient Core genetic report. You will also complete a detailed Personalised Bread Questionnaire so that your bread formulas and fermentation are tailored to your digestive health history and wellbeing goals.
Due to demand, courses can often be booked up in advance. Please join the Waiting List and we will be in touch if there are any cancellations.
Please select your retreat date below:
- Please make sure that the address that you give is the right one as we will be posting out your nutrigenetics test kit to this address
- Description
- What will we make?
- What will I learn?
- What is the teaching style?
- What is not included?
- How we use your nutrient core report
- Course Hours
- How to get here and where to park
- Is there any additional information about the area?
- Are there local taxies?
- Do I need to bring anything with me?
What will we make?
What recipes will we make?
All recipes will be based on the recipes in our Sourdough School books and Food for Thought. We suggest that you have copies of your books so you can bake the recipes when you get home.
- Creating a Botanical Blend flour – Sweet Sourdough School Book
- Probiotic drinks – Sweet Sourdough School Book
- Sourdough Pizza / flat breads
- 10 Minute Book Focaccia / Pocket breads
- A retarded overnight classic sourdough Boule – The Sourdough School Book
- A fermented cake and a probiotic accompaniment such as cultured butter Sweet Sourdough School Book
- A symbiotic recipe such as a soup to eat with the bread my book Food For Thought
- Vegetable or fruit probiotic pickles such as kimchi or sauerkraut
- Fruit compote Sweet Sourdough School Book
What will I learn?
You will learn more than you even knew there was to learn, just by being here for the week.
- Every step of making sourdough
- Starter refreshment
- Blending and milling flour
- Timings
- Familiarisation of the variables affecting fermentation
- About fibre, protein & gluten in the flour
- An overview of nutrition & digestibility of bread
- Eating symbiotically for optimal gut health
- Why diversity is key to gut health
- About the gut microbiome and why the kind of bread you eat matters
- Probiotics & prebiotics
- How to make sourdough central to your lifestyle
What is the teaching style?
Retreat Teaching Style .. some modules are quiet…
All courses are run in the same style and it is really important that you understand that our teaching style is not that of a cookery school. We teach using a participative demonstration style, making sourdough, and working with one mixer, Vanessa will make larger batches of dough. There will be ample opportunities to touch, taste, smell and feel the dough. It is important, however to understand that The School is a classroom, and the teaching style is about understanding the principles of sourdough rather than each of our students individually making bread. Some classes are taught in silence to allow students to connect to the process.
The practical side of learning to shape is supported by the Sourdough Club video tutorials for when you get home. This teaching style enables us to still run courses by maintaining a safe learning environment for both students and the team at the school. We ask that students are considerate of this approach and that you read and agreed to follow our COVID-19 guidelines before attending the school.
What is not included?
You will need to budget for your:
- Travel
- Accommodation
- Insurance
- Food outside of teaching hours
How we use your nutrient core report
During the retreat, you will learn how to interpret your Nutrient Core Report from Lifecode Gx and apply it in a precise, practical way to your daily bread — the way you bake it, eat it, and share it. This is about connecting your genetic profile to your food choices so that every loaf you enjoy works with your biology, not against it.
We will explore gene variants that influence:
- Food response — gluten tolerance (HLA-DQA1, HLA-DQB1), lactose digestion (LCT), caffeine sensitivity (ADORA2A, CYP1A2), and microbiome diversity (FUT2) — and how these shape flour choice, fermentation time, and the inclusion of botanical fibres.
- Vitamin utilisation — folate (MTHFR), B12 absorption and transport (FUT2, TCN2), vitamin A conversion (BCO1), vitamin D transport and receptor sensitivity (GC, VDR), vitamin K recycling (VKORC1), vitamin C transport and collagen synthesis (SLC23A1, COL1A1), and glutathione production/detox capacity (GSTM1).
- Metabolic regulation — blood sugar and fat metabolism (TCF7L2, PGC1A), appetite and satiety (FTO, LEPR), fat metabolism and omega-3/omega-6 balance (FADS1, FADS2), inflammation (TNF, IFNG), and blood pressure regulation (ACE, AGT).
- Circadian rhythm — sleep and energy timing (CLOCK, PER1) and how to align bread consumption and meal sequencing with your natural chronotype.
You will learn how to use this knowledge to:
- Select and blend grains, legumes, seeds, and botanicals to meet your specific nutrient requirements.
- Adjust fermentation length and method to improve digestibility and nutrient bioavailability.
- Pair bread with other foods to balance blood sugar, reduce inflammation, and support your microbiome.
By the end of the retreat, you will understand your genetic profile in detail and be able to apply it to your daily bread — making it a deliberate act of nourishment that supports your gut, metabolism, and long-term health, in full alignment with the BALM Protocol
Course Hours
Course Hours
Plan Your Arrival:
- Please do not arrive early for the course. We ask that you respect Vanessa’s family and personal time. We appreciate that sometimes you may arrive early, so if you need a place to wait, we recommend The Workhouse café in the next village, about a mile and a half away.
The courses need 15 minutes to wrap up, so please book your taxi at about 15 minutes after the course ends.
-
- Tuesday 10m – 6pm
- Wednesday 10 am – 6 pm
- Thursday 10 am – 6 pm
- Friday 10 am – 6 pm
- Saturday 10 – 6pm
- Sunday 10am – 4pm
- The visit days may run over. Please note that all visits and non-baking events within the course are subject to change depending on their availability. We reserve the right to substitute suitable alternatives as and when required. Thank you.
How to get here and where to park
When you enrol, we will send you exact details on how to find the School, but we are based in Pitsford Northamptonshire.
-
Parking is free in the village, but we ask that you park by the church, please.
We ask that you do NOT park on the driveway for health and safety reasons, but there are plenty of side roads nearby. There are usually spaces in Church Lane, which is a left turn from the main road just before the road bends sharply round to the right. You can walk to the School. It is 2 minutes back up the road to get to us, and please use the Zebra crossing to cross the road. We don’t advise parking on the main road opposite the school as it has been known for the occasional wing mirror to be lost! Also, please be mindful not to block the pavements, as some of the local residents have disabilities and require full access.
Is there any additional information about the area?
Planning a longer stay?
- You can find information on local walks here.
- Here are some lovely places to eat and visit.
- You can read about my two favourite places to visit here.
- There is some information on the local farmers market here.
Are there local taxies?
Taxis
Taxis are a rule unto themselves. I use Amber personally. Ask if they drop you off by the Zebra crossing. The Gate is only 10 feet away from the zigzag. Amber Cars – 01604 232666 https://www.ambercarsnorthampton.com/ Ace Cars – 01604 719697 http://www.acecars4u.co.uk/ Bounds – 01604 626262 http://www.boundstaxis.co.uk/ Phoenix Class – 01604 222222 https://www.phoenixclass.co.uk/ Station Taxis Northampton – 01604 636363 – http://stationtaxisnorthampton.co.uk/ Northampton Taxis – 01604 404040 – https://www.northampton-taxis.co.uk/ KPD taxis – 01604 882798 https://www.kpdgroup.com/private-hire/ (KPD taxis are based in Holcot village)
Do I need to bring anything with me?
Prepare for the Workshop: Here are items we suggest you might want to bring:
- A small sterile sourdough starter pot that you can take some starter home in or travel with.
- A plain-coloured apron
- A bag to carry two loaves of bread home.
- A small 100ml Bottle for samples of vinegar mother or a scoby,
- a swimming costume if you want to go wild swimming locally
Before the course, you are advised to purchase recommended books. While you can access the recipes and general information, as a workshop student, you only have access to the website as a primary workshop-level student. The website primarily serves as the home for the Sourdough School Online Diploma, and most of its content is exclusively available to students enrolled in the 2-year online Diploma programme. We therefore highly recommend that you purchase the books that have the recipes that we are baking in them to get the most out of your course.
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