The Sourdough School

Baking Courses specialising in Nutrition and Digestibility of Bread

Based in rural Northamptonshire, within the walled gardens of Dr. Vanessa Kimbell's beautiful Victorian home, we teach the art and science of Baking As Lifestyle Medicine (BALM). We offer a range of testing and bread making courses to personalise bread, tailored to suit your digestion, gut health, and genetics.

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Opening Hours & Course Days & Times

Term Dates for Online Classes & Office Hours

We operate a traditional academic school year.

Please note that some of our courses run on half terms and holidays, so for your workshops or retreats, please refer to your specific course for dates and times.

Live Drop In sessions to speak to Dr Kimbell

Live 4pm drop in sessions are avalable to all students on these dates:

Session Date
Welcome Tuesday, 24th September 2024
Live Sessions Begin Tuesday, 1st October 2024
October Live Sessions 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th October 2024
November Live Sessions 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th November 2024
December Live Sessions 3rd, 10th, 17th December 2024
January Live Sessions 7th (Break), 14th, 21st, 28th January 2025
February Live Sessions 4th, 11th, 18th (Half Term), 25th February 2025
March Live Sessions 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th March 2025
April Live Sessions 1st (Easter Break), 8th (Easter Break), 22nd, 29th April 2025
May Live Sessions 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th (Half Term) May 2025
June Live Sessions 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th June 2025
July Live Sessions 1st (Last Live) July 2025

Please see the Live menu for details on how to access the Live sessions. Only enrolled students can drop in.

Here’s a broad explanation of our schedule:

We follow a routine that is based on a traditional Oxbridge school timetable. For those who may not be familiar with the term, the Oxbridge timetable mirrors the academic calendar used by Oxford and Cambridge Universities in the UK, which is typically divided into three eight-week periods known as Michaelmas (Autumn), Lent (Winter/Spring), and Trinity (Summer). We operate year-round, teaching both in-person and online classes.

  1. Traditional School Year: We follow the Oxbridge academic calendar with Michaelmas, Lent, and Trinity terms. Each term lasts approximately seven weeks, with a small break, often referred to as the “half-term” break, in the middle of each term. During these breaks, we momentarily pause our in-person and online teachings to recharge and prepare for the subsequent half of the term.
  2. In-Person Teaching: We run in-person courses year-round. We conduct in-person classes consistently throughout the year in term times, and an extra class in July that is after the term has finished.
  3. Online Teaching: Our online sessions also operate according to the Oxbridge calendar. These classes provide flexibility for those who can’t attend physically, enabling them to participate in their own time.
  4. Availability: Since our staff are often not in the office – we are either baking, gardening, or out and about – we do not maintain standard office hours. Nevertheless, our dedication to our students and their education remains unwavering, and we answer emails, but we also do a live session once a week that anyone can attend.
  5. Lives & Updates: Live sessions are on Tuesdays at 4pm open session 6pm, Diploma, 7pn Certificate, and 8pm Baking Clinic. For those interested in attending our live sessions, please regularly check our ‘Live Boards’. This digital space offers the most accurate and up-to-date information about upcoming live classes, providing necessary details, including dates, times, and topics.
Term/Half Term Break Start Date End Date
Autumn Term Wednesday, 18th September 2024 Thursday, 17th December 2024
Autumn Half Term Monday, 21st October 2024 Friday, 25th October 2024
Christmas Holidays Wednesday, 17th December 2024 Tuesday, 6th January 2025
Spring Term Monday, 6th January 2025 Wednesday, 26th March 2025
Spring Half Term Monday, 17th February 2025 Friday, 21st February 2025
Easter Holidays Tuesday, 1st April 2025 Tuesday, 22nd April 2025
Summer Term Wednesday, 23rd April 2025 Friday, 27th June 2025
Summer Half Term Monday, 26th May 2025 Friday, 30th May 2025
Summer Break Saturday, 28th June 2025 Until 3rd week of September 2025

Attending The School in Person

  • We do not share the address online as it is Dr Kimbell’s home.
  • If you are attending a class and looking for where to come, please refer to your booking emails and your booking information with specific instructions of where to come, parking, leant and safety brief and what to bring.  The link to this document can be found in your original booking email, which will take you to a detailed step-by-step guide to registering and attending. We have specifically not given you the address to ensure that you read and understand the health and safety, and what’s more is that if you use a sat nav, you will not find The School as there is an anomaly.
  • For dates, please refer to your booking.again
  • Please do not arrive early. 
  • Please do give yourself 15 minutes after the course ends to finish up.

2 day Course Times and Days

  • Thursday 10m – 6pm
  • Friday 10am – 4pm

3 Day Workshop Courses

  •  Wednesday 10am – 6pm
  • Thursday 10am – 6pm
  • Friday 10am – 4pm

6 Day Retreats

  • 10am – 6pm Tuesday,
  • Wednesday 10am – 8pm ( we go out so it may be later,)
  • Thursday 10 am – 6pm,
  • Friday 10am – 6pm
  • Saturday 2pm – 6pm
  • Sunday 11am – 4pm

We’re excited to have you join our unique and lively learning environment. If you have any questions or need further clarification, please feel free to reach out. Although we may not always be in the office, we will reply as soon as possible.

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All reasonable care is taken when writing about health aspects of bread, but the information it contains is not intended to take the place of treatment by a qualified medical practitioner. You must seek professional advice if you are in any doubt about any medical condition. Any application of the ideas and information contained on this website is at the reader's sole discretion and risk.

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