Sabine Klaus-Carter of Calvin Foods Edinburgh has been crowned Scotland’s Bread Hero by the Tiptree World Bread Awards with Brook Food.
The judges were inspired by Sabine’s ability to turn a challenging personal experience into a business that helps many people in situations similar to her own.
Sabine's son has multiple severe food allergies. When she found out that other people were struggling to find safe free-from bread too, Sabine decided to set up Calvin's Free From Foods so that everyone could experience the joy of having bread, no matter what one's dietary restrictions are.
Since its launch in July 2020, Calvin's Free From Foods has also been donating to food banks.
David Stubley, a baker from Edinburgh, also triumphed at the Awards.
In addition to being Runner Up for Scotland, he won the special KitchenAid Home Baker Award.
During the pandemic, David amassed a huge international following on Instagram with his creative sourdough baking.
He used the platform to encourage and support all bakers across the world, from the complete beginners to the more experienced, offering continued support and encouragement.
Abha Kholsa from California, one of David’s nominators, was one of the many who received his personal support.
Abha said: “I would text him pictures of daily progress of my sourdough starter (which I named Jackie Chan), and daily he would give me tips on temperature, moisture control, when to feed it and how to test if it was ready.”
Abha also encouraged her septuagenarian father back in India to take part too. “Little does David know how he brought my Dad and me so close on a common mission while the pandemic had thwarted our plans to be physically close.
"A bread can do wonders, but a sourdough connected a Scottish person to a Californian and then all the way to an Indian.”
In normal times, the Tiptree World Bread Awards celebrate the bread, with loaves from around the country being delivered for assessment by a panel of esteemed judges.
Building on the great success of last year, the Awards once again celebrated the UK’s Bread Heroes - the people behind the loaves: from farmers and millers, to bakers and educators.
Hundreds of nominations were sent in from across the UK.
Stephen Hallam, chair of the judges said: "All the nominees in this year’s Awards truly deserve recognition for their generous, considerate and often altruistic initiatives to help others."
13 regional winners were selected by the judging panel.
In addition to the regional winners, there were a selection of special awards: Brook Food Dream Team Award, KitchenAid Home Baker Hero, Shipton Mill Real Bread Hero, Tiptree Outstanding Achievement Award, Wright’s Flour Award for Innovation, Zeelandia Award for Sustainability.
One of the judges, Britt Box, from She Who Bakes, said,"It has been another strange year and it is so lovely to read stories of the bread heroes who have carried on, diversified, given back and risen to the challenge (pun intended).
"They are all an absolute credit to their communities."
An exhibition of portraits by photographer Henry Kenyon of the Bread Heroes will be touring the UK.
