In the off-season it can turn out to be wasteful to bake a load of bread in the hope that our lovely locals decide to brave the winter weather and make the trek to the brewery in the morning. Between November and Easter, therefore, we are now providing a Subscription and Delivery based bread service for anyone living between Conaglen and Sallachan.
You can find the full information and subscription form by clicking the button in the section below but in outline the winter service is as follows
We bake only on Sundays
We bake to order
We deliver your fresh, warm bread ( white or brown, sliced or unsliced) in the morning
You can cancel your order for any week when you don’t want your bread
Holiday makers and occasional bread eaters can order for a single Sunday
If you don’t live in the delivery area you can still subscribe and collect your bread at the brewery
You can settle your bread account either in person on delivery, at the brewery or via a payment link
Winter Bread arrangements
Freshly Baked Bread in Ardgour
Since the village shop closed a few years ago, Ardgour people and holidaymakers have faced either a ferry crossing and drive or a 28 mile round trip to Strontian to buy anything. We thought we could help, so we bought an industrial oven and a spiral mixer and started test baking batches of a dozen loaves.
Anonymised unsolicited testimonials
So - what’s the bread like?
“Boys loved (the white bread) as Meanie Mum prefers brown bread so they thought it was special! It has a super soft crumb - as white bread should. [Meanie Mum, 40ish]
“That man is so good at making bread, Mummy!” [E****e, 4]
“Another triumph. Loving the good crust but soft all the way through and easy to slice.” [Neach-Ciùil, 50 ish]
History (almost) repeats itself
In the “post mediaeval” period, sometime between 1560 and 1875 there was a clack mill on our site. Water from four of the Ardgour kettlehole lochans used to run the mill. The mill owner’s house is still here (although in need of a little DIY) as is the slate lined mill-lade. It carries a lot less water to the sea loch nowadays as the channels between the first three freshwater lochans have silted up.
We dont grind flour here anymore but our little bakery re-connects the ground with one of it’s ancient purposes which seems like a good thing.
The Process
We produce 800g loaves each Sunday morning
The traditional pan loaves, traditional white or 70% wholemeal brown have well developed gluten due to the kneading action of our spiral mixer, a good crust thanks to the ferocity of the 3-phase convection oven, an even crumb from the good heat distribution qualities of our commercial grade steel tins from Rackmaster and good keeping quality due to the addition of a little olive oil to the dough.
In August 2021 we acquired a slicer - so Ardgour Bread can also be had sliced and bagged.
You can find us here
Here’s a helpful map
You can contact us:
on FaceBook (click the f above this text block)
by SMS (text) to 07785 763659
email brewery@ardgourales.scot