From Windsurfing to Wholewheat Heaven: Breaking Bread with Ralph
Here in the beating heart of the Lincolnshire Wolds, we’re working hard to produce wholesome, organic food in a way that’s good for the climate, good for biodiversity and good for the local economy. We’re blessed to be working with individuals and businesses who share our ambition and combine entrepreneurial flair with a respect for traditional craftsmanship.
Last week, we got to taste a new sourdough bread made by the Grain of Truth Bakery in Lincoln from organic spring wheat flour grown on the Estate and milled at Waltham Windmill. The plan to bring Lincolnshire growers, millers and bakers together is gaining traction and the bread tasted as good as it looked and smelled. We thought it was high time we caught up with Ralph Gilsenan from Grain of Truth to find out more.
“I’ve lived in Lincolnshire for a decade now,” said Ralph. “I’ve lived all over the place – in Kent, Shropshire, Devon, Buckinghamshire and Cheshire, to name a few – but I like it here. I get on with Lincolnshire people and they have a genuine passion for buying local produce. I’ve had a lot of jobs! My first actual paid job was as a windsurfing instructor but it was very seasonal and there wasn’t much work in winter.
“When you’re young, you don’t always know what you want to do. I volunteered for a bit and tried a few things out. I studied journalism at Lincoln Uni but it wasn’t for me. I was a bit lost for a while. I’d always done food-related stuff as a hobby. From home-brewing to cheese-making to home-curing meats, I tried lots of stuff just out of interest. After uni, I worked as a chef for about five years. It’s a good preparation for running a business as it gets you used to hard work.
“The Covid lockdown came along and I got really into sourdough and did a lot of baking to the point where I thought I’d like to try it seriously. I saw a job at Vine’s Bakery, applied, got it and just loved it. It was all the best bits of cheffing without the worst bits. In cheffing, the prep and the menu-creation are inspiring and fun but the service is a killer.
“People think bakers’ working hours are horrible but cheffing is worse. As a baker, you might have to start at 1 or 2am although most of the team come in at 4am. Freshly baked goods have to be ready in time for the restaurant trade. Equipment can help and make the starts a little later; dough retarders can control the pace of proving, for example. You’re usually done by 11am or noon. This routine is normal for me now and you can plan and have a life. In cheffing, your hours are all over the place and you never know whether you’re coming or going. Baking can be tricky and running a business is hard, but it is consistent.
“After Vine’s, I didn’t want to go back to cheffing so I found another way. I was approached by Adam O’Meara about running a bakery. I decided that if I said no, I’d regret it forever. We’ve been trading since July 2023; it’s going well and it’s on the way up. We’ve got a small team including two bakers who are pretty much full-time and some others to help out at weekends. I did learn one useful lesson on the journalism course; even if you start the day with a deadline staring at you but no stories, you just work at it and find a way through.
