An Awkward Encounter

An awkward encounter that led to limiting numbers on my courses

Just after lockdown, I bumped into a chap who greeted me like an old friend. He seemed familiar. I had that weird, uncomfortable feeling – that feeling you get when find yourself in a socially awkward situation, or the feeling after a horrible dream, when you wake up with residual emotions even though you were not really naked in the aisle at your wedding. Isn’t it weird how that kind of dream that feels so real? And here I was, being greeted by someone who obviously knew me very well.

I blagged it.

As it turned out, it was a student who spent several days at the side of school, and the truth is, I had no recollection of who she was. I blagged it, chat about bread, and vaguely remembered him. But it really brought home to me just how hard it has been to teach people in large numbers over many years. I didn’t enjoy the fact that you never get into any of the details that people tell you, and you learn just little about them, and then you move on. I guess that’s the way most people who teach bread making work. It is not how I wanted to teach.

Personalised Bread-Making: A New Approach – Genetic Testing

Looking at all the courses that are on the market now it certainly seems to be the case for all the bread-making and sourdough courses in the UK and around the world. So over the past decade of running The Diploma and practising what is now firmly named as ‘Baking as Lifestyle Medicine’, has enabled me to appreciate that each person relates to bread differently, and it’s dependent upon many factors – genetic factors and their gut microbiome. So this year I am really excited to be including a genetic test for The Diploma that is being developed specifically for bread and digestion with the help of Lifecode GX. I am also close to choosing a gut microbiome test to go with this, but I am undecided yet.

Personalising bread is so obvious when you say it. I mean, after all, Professor Tim Spector and his team Zoe have been going on about personalisation of food for quite some time now. I’d come to this conclusion many years ago, and although I was busy writing up my doctorate. My ego voice in my head wondered what people would think if I’d copied Spector? Then my sensible voice said, “Who cares?” But if take a look at his new product with 30 ingredient this wide range of diverse ingredients is so very similar to the botanical flour that I have been asked this week if he copied me .. . just to be clear neither of us have copied each other… we’ve just been able to understand the research and we have applied the knowledge into a way of eating.

The Importance of Social Real Media Interaction

Being so small as a business means that we rely so heavily on our interaction on social media and people actually taking the time, like you right now, to actually read something. Again, I wonder if people actually even read anymore. Do they? There is so much that demands our attention especially on social media, so thank you for those of you that take the time to like and comment it makes a difference.

A New Teaching Approach: Smaller Classes, Deeper Learning

So, I return to the point I started to make at the beginning of this: I made an important decision to restrict the number of people that I teach down to manageable numbers – so just 100 new students per year and small classes of just 6. It seems like a much better way to share knowledge. It’s a more in-depth way, and so I guess it means that numbers are restricted.

Limited Course Availability Breakdown

As the number are so restricted that it is only fair to give you a breakdown here of the numbers of people that I’m taking on each part of the course, and also explain that I also split up the ability to book an in-person course here away from the two-year diploma – so you can just attend a 3 day s course. I also want to remind you that there is a small number of awards this year. They are much reduced in number but there are a 10 places in total, funded by the profits from the Botanical Blend Flour. – so please take a look here at the application for The Diploma ANNIE ELLIOT award.

LINKS TO THE COURSES

Each year, the numbers are as follows:

• 32 places on the 3 day workshops – there are 26 place left
• 18 places on the retreats – there are 13 places left
• 40 places on The Diploma – There are 36 places remaining

Important Announcements

Now we have it – this is the first newsletter to go out, and we’ve already had a significant number of bookings. So may I gently suggest that you hurry up and book the dates that you need? If you don’t do so, then you will simply not get the date that you want.

Monthly Payments available if you book in August

The other key thing that you don’t want to miss is the fact that I have, for the month of August only, created the ability to book the course and pay monthly instalments. As of the 1st of September, all courses will return, if there are any left, to the full price payable immediately.

We always have a waiting list for the courses most years by the time it gets to Christmas, so my hope is that by announcing them early that people who would not ordinarily be able to come can find this payment method a more affordable way, or more convenient way perhaps, to enrol.

Website Updates and Botanical Flour News

In the meantime, I’ve written a few extra articles and features for the website that I hope you’ll find interesting. I’m delighted to announce that the botanical flour is now available in 16 kg bags. Many thanks to Adam Pagor or Grain and Hearth Bakery in Whitstable, who is not only an amazing friend and who has won the best bakery in Kent award, but has also been kind enough to be trialling the flower in his bakery, using 10 or 15%, and it has been absolutely amazing – see photos above.

Looking Forward

I am very much looking forward to meeting some of you and stay tuned for more features and articles over the summer and in the coming months. Meantime, I’m going to be getting on with your book. I have the manuscript due in December. You can expect something different, as always, It seems that tis is book number six – can you believe it?

Please do not hesitate to get in contact with me should you have any queries. My number is on the website and. you can book to have a chat with me on Calendly or via WhatsApp

Kindest regards,
Dr Vanessa Kimbell