Michael Wooton from Judges Bakery
Check out the latest episode of HIP Biz, now streaming on Spotify. This week our Business Editor Damien Pestell meets local baking legend Michael Wooton, owner of Judges Bakery in Hastings Old Town, to explore how he fell in love with bread from a young age and what it’s like being the custodian of one of the country’s oldest working bakeries, which first started baking loaves in 1826.
They discuss what it was like for Michael growing up in Hastings and the special community it has, Old Town and how it feels like a village. They explore Hastings` unique culture and why Michael thinks the influx of people to the town is beneficial
Michael speaks about not knowing what to do with his life when he finished A-levels, until he saw an advert for an apprenticeship as a baker and decided to work there until he found a proper job. They discuss baking and the 30 different types of bread that are made by Judges, how everything is made from scratch and why the acid test of a bakery is their sausage rolls.
Michael employs 28 people, including eight bakers and he reveals the pride they take in their craft and how it feels like a family. Damien discovers Michael’s passion for bread, the sadness that he felt when the baking industry went through its darkest years and how he came to buy Judges and share the bread he loved.
Finally Damien learns about the tradition of bread making and the rise of sourdough, why it is healthier and tastes better than yeasted bread and the etymology of the word barmy. Also, how time is the secret ingredient in good bread.
The historic High Street building Judges Bakery operates from since it opened 194 years ago and the timber used to construct the Tudor structure have been carbon dated to 1,000 years ago, at the time of the Norman conquest.
If you’d like to hear more of the story behind one of Hastings` best loved businesses, then check our HIP Biz podcast here
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