This week Sofia Akin is joined by a Tonbridge sourdough bakery. We also visit Rochester Cathedral as they kick off their lightshow.
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00:00 Hello and welcome to Made in Kent, live on KMTV. I'm Sophia Akin and in this show we
00:21 travel all around the county to discover Kent's tastiest treats, most delicious drinks and
00:26 some of the creative minds across the county. Tonight we'll be finding more about shopping
00:30 locally. Independent businesses say it provides better quality produce and it's more sustainable
00:35 often. And we'll be joined by a local Tunbridge baker, two of them in fact, who have brought
00:40 some of their sourdough in. But shopping locally can sometimes come at a cost, so how can we
00:45 encourage more people to support independent businesses across Kent? And Let There Be Light
00:51 will be joined by somebody from Rochester Cathedral as it's transformed into an interstellar
00:56 light show. But first tonight, flour, yeast, salt and water, that's the simple ingredients
01:01 in a loaf of bread. A Tunbridge baker specialises in sourdough bread and the difference with
01:06 this is that it doesn't have yeast. Bakehouse at 124 say external factors like Brexit, the
01:12 cost of living crisis and even bird flu have meant that their costs to make their signature
01:16 sourdough has risen, much like a loaf of bread. Despite this, they're determined not to pass
01:21 these costs on to their customers, as I've been finding out this week. Making a sandwich
01:27 is something most of us are used to doing almost every day. But this Tunbridge bakery
01:32 says the art isn't necessarily what's in the sandwich, but rather the type of bread that's
01:37 used. Bakehouse at 124 boasts of their sourdough, which has people queuing up for more. And
01:44 making their toasties is a bit of an art in itself. So really all you need for a really
02:02 good loaf of sourdough is flour, water and salt. You don't need chemicals, you don't
02:07 need anything added. It's just those items plus time and just knowledge really of how
02:13 to deal with your circumstances. A key part of baking a loaf of bread is expecting the
02:18 dough to rise. But something the bakery didn't expect was such a rise in the cost of making
02:25 one of their loaves of bread. I think since the pandemic, I think people's spending habits
02:30 have changed. Our organic white flour was from the Ukraine, so obviously that has an
02:36 effect. Our butter comes in from France, that obviously has an effect. Avian flu with our
02:44 eggs, they've certainly had an effect on price. And you can shoulder the prices coming in
02:51 for so long. We've been very upfront with our customers and explaining all of that to
02:56 them and they are aware of that. And we try our hardest not to put the prices up unnecessarily.
03:05 It's only because of our raw ingredients going up that we've had to do that. The bakehouse
03:11 is a stone's throw from the River Medway and Clare says location can actually impact the
03:16 process of making bread. We've got a river, that's going to mean there's going to be a
03:21 slightly different humidity and atmosphere. So it means that sourdough is very, very,
03:26 very unique to the place it's made. So if you make it in a factory, you're never going
03:31 to have a proper sourdough loaf. But owning a bakery during a cost of living crisis, it
03:38 seems rising costs is just the way the cookie crumbles. They say they'll keep rolling with
03:43 the tough times and hope their sweet treats will continue to sell like hotcakes. Sophia
03:49 Akin for KMTV in Sunbridge. Well we're now joined with Clare, who we heard from in the
03:55 piece and we're also joined by manager Liz from Bakehouse at 124. Thanks both of you
04:00 for joining us and bringing some of your bread. Wish the viewers could smell how lovely it
04:04 smells in here right now. Bread, homemade bread always has such a lovely smell, doesn't
04:08 it? It so does, yes. So tell me, where did this all begin Clare? How did you set this
04:13 up? For me, it started really because I have food allergies and also I was made redundant
04:20 and I had an opportunity to retrain and I'd been away in San Francisco and had a sandwich
04:27 made out of sourdough bread and realised how fantastic it was. It was nothing like I'd
04:33 ever had before. So when I went to retrain, I went and learnt how to make sourdough bread
04:39 and it really just started from that and I was quite conscious that in Sunbridge it would
04:43 be lovely to give the local residents something different and they've been really appreciative
04:50 of it. So how is it different from a typical loaf of bread? It doesn't have yeast, does
04:55 it? No. And it has a starter which is a raising agent. So if you could explain to me what's
05:02 in this to make it raise? So a sourdough starter is basically just flour and water and it's
05:09 just fermented. So what you do is you feed it. So we fed this this morning and we've
05:14 just left it so it's risen quite nice. It's got lots of little air bubbles and what we
05:19 then do is add that in with the flour, water and salt and we leave it to prove and it's
05:26 this little thing that gives it all the magic and it brings all the bubbles into the bread.
05:33 So that is all that is. It's almost like a mini ball of dough in itself, isn't it? Absolutely.
05:40 And here we have. We saw you preparing the toasties that you do Liz and it's something
05:47 I said in the piece, making sandwiches is something that we probably most of us do every
05:51 day. But why are yours sort of different? It's kind of there's kind of an art to it,
05:55 isn't there? So I guess what you do different types of sandwiches, don't you? So what goes
05:59 into that? Absolutely. I mean, we think very carefully about the types of bread that we're
06:03 using. So different sourdoughs, we have different flavours and then finding really delicious
06:09 locally sourced ingredients to create the fillings. So I think you saw in the VT that
06:16 we were using herbs that we'd chopped from the garden. So we had some freshly chopped
06:20 herbs in it and then some local cheeses and then obviously showcasing it showcases our
06:26 bread perfectly. So and as we know, we are a nation who loves sandwiches. And something
06:34 really interesting I took away from it is that you were saying that depending on where
06:38 you are, it can impact kind of the experience of baking the bread. And because you're right
06:44 a stone's throw from the River Medway, that kind of impacts it. So could you tell me a
06:48 bit more about that? Well, obviously, when your environment affects what happens in this.
06:54 So where we are, we're right next to the River Medway. And it certainly I it brings the certain
07:00 kind of flavour. I wouldn't say it's discernible, but it means that the bread that we make at
07:05 the bakehouse is unique to my bakehouse. If I was to make bread in Glasgow City, it would
07:12 have a particular style as well. It just takes on the atmosphere and the environment around
07:17 it. And I think that's what's so exciting. Yeah, that's really interesting. And so and
07:22 it's been it's been a tough few years, I think for for all hospitality businesses, hasn't
07:26 it? I mean, you've had COVID kind of the impacts of Brexit and you were telling me things like
07:31 the war in Ukraine and even avian flu has had an impact. So tell me a bit more about
07:36 that whilst I try some of your bread. Well, the first thing is that we have organic white
07:42 flour in our bread. And we try when we're doing sourdough to always use organic flour
07:48 because it then is a much purer product. But our white flour actually comes from the Ukraine.
07:55 So that's been a challenge for our millers who imported on their behalf. But they've
08:01 kind of got round it. So that has had an impact and things like avian flu that has had it
08:09 because of all our products are very pure. We only use butter, eggs, flour, milk. If
08:15 the eggs, you know, the hens are staying in the barns, that obviously has an effect on
08:20 the pricing as well. And I imagine some of that you were saying you try not to pass it
08:25 on to your customers. But it comes to a point where you have to slightly don't you because
08:29 it's impacting the business too. So I mean, yeah, tell me a bit more about that. I guess
08:34 you've tried to keep your prices low. Oh, absolutely. We very much try to. But obviously,
08:39 we have to be very true and we are a business. And we hold as much back as we can. But obviously,
08:47 prices for us just like everyone on the high street have increased quite phenomenally in
08:52 the last couple of years. It's a scary, scary world out there. Yeah, the bread's lovely,
08:59 by the way. I think it's something quite simple bread. But it's something people are very
09:04 particular about. People love their toast, don't they? But you've also started offering
09:10 classes where people can make this. But I guess because you were saying kind of the
09:14 point of it is that you're near the River Medway, so we have a special taste to it.
09:18 So can people get this quality making it from home? Yes, they can. I mean, on a course,
09:23 the whole point is I'm going to give them the tools and the knowledge to get them started.
09:30 And then it's really the journey is up to them. It can be fun, you know, or you can
09:36 just dip in and out. I met a customer who was on a course about three or four years
09:41 ago and he now makes bread three times a week. And just talking to him, he just became very,
09:46 very animated. He's so proud of himself and he's making bread for the family. And I just
09:52 think that, you know, it's one of the simplest things to make and it can be made around your
09:57 lifestyle. And that is the sourdough secret. So when you come on a course, you learn all
10:03 these exciting things and you get to take away a bit of this. So you can start off your
10:10 own your own plants and get going and and make bread how you want it for your family.
10:15 And I guess, did you ever think about, because I mean, it's impacting your sort of raw ingredients
10:21 and I think that's something that everyone will impact. Did you ever consider changing
10:25 your ingredients? I guess it's this is kind of your your thing. So you might not want
10:29 to change the specific ingredients. Is it something you considered at all?
10:32 No. The bottom line is no, because I want to stay true to what the bakehouse offers
10:39 our customers. They know they're going to get a really good product. And the bottom
10:43 line is the product quality stops with us, the bakery. And if we're not going to give
10:51 the product they a customer expects when they walk through the front door, then they're
10:55 never going to come back. So you need to make sure that you're always going to give the
11:00 product that you in your heart, you know, you want to give people.
11:05 And we saw some sort of some of your other creations. It's not just bread you do. It's
11:10 kind of a whole experience. So tell me about some of those other cakes and sweet treats
11:16 that we saw popping up on the screen.
11:19 We specialise in vinoiserie. So we make proper croissants, brioche, lots of lots of lots
11:25 of all sorts of buns, all sorts of cakes, pastry, puff pastry, so all sorts of sweet
11:32 and savoury. So there's a lot going on. There's a lot of products. I mean, if you came to
11:37 us on a Saturday, you'll find the counter laden filled with lots of really, really yummy
11:44 treats.
11:45 Brilliant. Well, thank you very much. We've run out of time, but it was great to speak
11:48 to you both. See you both again. Thank you very much. And we'll be back after this break.
11:52 I'll see you soon.
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15:04 Hello and welcome back to Made in Kent
15:06 live on KMTV.
15:08 Now, Rochester Cathedral has been transformed
15:10 through colour, lights and sound.
15:12 A light show has opened at the cathedral today
15:14 within the last five or ten minutes, in fact,
15:16 exploring contributions of science and human understanding
15:18 of the physical world around us.
15:20 Now, the show, simply called Science,
15:22 will take place over five nights,
15:24 starting tonight,
15:26 and will consist of a number of different
15:28 light and sound installations.
15:30 Well, the Reverend Canon, Dr. Gordon Giles,
15:32 joins me now on the stage
15:34 to tell me a little bit more about it.
15:36 Just as it's kicking off, Gordon,
15:38 thanks for joining us.
15:40 So, it's just starting.
15:42 Has anyone come in yet?
15:44 Or are you the first there?
15:46 I think we're about to open the doors, in fact.
15:48 So you can see behind me that the lights are on,
15:50 as it were, and there are people at home.
15:52 And we'll be looking forward to welcoming
15:54 hundreds of people in this evening
15:56 and in the coming days.
15:58 Tell me a little bit about what it's going to be like
16:00 for the next five or ten minutes.
16:02 Tell me a little bit about what it's going to be like
16:04 when you've got the people in.
16:06 I've been there a couple of times before
16:08 and it's usually filled
16:10 with people. So tell me
16:12 a little bit more about what we can expect.
16:14 Well, it is.
16:16 In some senses, when we do a light show
16:18 here, it's the same but different.
16:20 We did Outer Space
16:22 two years ago. We had Life last year
16:24 and now we have
16:26 Science. So when we did
16:28 Outer Space, we turned Sacred Space
16:30 into Outer Space.
16:32 This year we're turning Sacred Space
16:34 into Inner Space, if you like,
16:36 because it's an exhibition about science
16:38 and quite a lot of it is about
16:40 molecules inside the human
16:42 body, that kind of
16:44 aspect of science and human life,
16:46 as it were. So it is fascinating
16:48 to see how wonderfully we are made,
16:50 projected on the walls,
16:52 as it were. And just behind me, I'm obviously
16:54 just in one part of the building.
16:56 This is taking place all over the building.
16:58 It gets quite dark, of course,
17:00 because that's only darkness for light,
17:02 don't you? But there's lots
17:04 of different kind of shows going on
17:06 at the same time. So it's
17:08 worth every penny.
17:10 It's great, Gordon, especially with the stained glass windows
17:12 in the background. And you might
17:14 remember, I came a couple of years ago,
17:16 it was the first piece I ever did for KMTV.
17:18 And there's always that sort
17:20 of theme of space, science
17:22 and, of course,
17:24 there's a slight sort of
17:26 contradiction of
17:28 religion and science. So tell me a bit more
17:30 about, I guess, why you wanted to marry the pair
17:32 together. And we can hear the music
17:34 starting to come on now. It's great. It's all
17:36 starting to come together. The music has just started to come on.
17:38 Brilliant. I think you were asking me
17:40 about the contradiction between science and religion.
17:42 Yeah, we can still hear you, don't worry. Which doesn't exist.
17:44 It doesn't exist. I mean, faith
17:46 and science have always gone hand in hand.
17:48 Right back to the Big Bang.
17:50 I mean, science is the
17:52 boat by which we navigate
17:54 a mystery.
17:56 We're asking the same questions.
17:58 And science is the means by which we
18:00 ask questions about creation,
18:02 why we're here, who we are,
18:04 how wonderfully we are made.
18:06 And so there isn't a contradiction at all,
18:08 really. I mean, if you imagine,
18:10 say, boiling a kettle,
18:12 you might say, "Why is the kettle boiling?
18:14 How is it boiling?" And it's boiling because molecules
18:16 are being thrown together and the temperature
18:18 is rising, and so the water
18:20 boils. But you
18:22 equally say, "Why is the kettle boiling?"
18:24 You could say, "Well, because I want a cup of tea."
18:26 There are different ways of
18:28 asking the same questions and different ways
18:30 of answering the same question.
18:32 And faith and science are doing
18:34 this hand in hand. And in the past
18:36 they were, of course, the same discipline,
18:38 effectively. We are looking at
18:40 the wonders of the world.
18:42 We need science. This whole building
18:44 wouldn't stand up if it weren't for science, would it?
18:46 As well, Gordon,
18:48 previous years it's
18:50 sold out, hasn't it? It's something
18:52 people have to pay for, isn't it? So just tell me how much
18:54 it is. And can people still buy tickets
18:56 this year?
18:58 Oh yes, you can. We prefer people
19:00 to buy tickets in advance. It's £8
19:02 for an adult, and less
19:04 for a child, of course, and carers can come
19:06 free. We do prefer you to buy a ticket
19:08 in advance because then we know
19:10 when you're coming and we can, you know,
19:12 we sell time slots, as it were.
19:14 So you can come from this sort of time,
19:16 half past six, right up
19:18 until, you know, sort of nine,
19:20 ten o'clock at night. And of course it does
19:22 get darker. So in some senses it
19:24 gets better as it gets darker.
19:26 Brilliant. Well, Gordon, I'd better let you get to
19:28 the event. I'm sure you'll have many
19:30 people waiting to come in. So
19:32 thank you for joining us and best of luck with it.
19:34 We look forward
19:36 to seeing everybody. Thank you.
19:38 All the best. Now, in other news,
19:40 a restaurant in Rochester is transporting
19:42 their customers to Central Asia
19:44 with a new range of vegan curries.
19:46 The award-winning Shosna has been
19:48 open for two decades, but they've
19:50 earlier this year expanded their menu
19:52 to contain more vegan as well
19:54 as healthier dishes. Well, let's take a look
19:56 back at our report with Shosna
19:58 from earlier this year.
20:00 Kent is home to hundreds
20:04 of Asian restaurants,
20:06 but this one in Rochester, having
20:08 won many awards, think
20:10 they're one of the best.
20:12 Shosna is an Indian
20:14 and Bangladeshi restaurant.
20:16 And I'm
20:18 just looking through the menu now and there are
20:20 so many different options. And
20:22 looking at the front page, it says, "The cuisine
20:24 of the Indian subcontinent is made
20:26 up of different subtle flavours.
20:28 It is varied as the climates
20:30 and the people with their distinct
20:32 cultures and traditions within
20:34 this vast land." They've been
20:36 open for more than 25
20:38 years, but recently have been
20:40 developing their menu to have more vegan
20:42 and healthier options
20:44 to attract further customers.
20:46 Yeah, you have to adapt to making
20:48 money because living expenses
20:50 have gone over the roof. So you have to look
20:52 after the business and yourself
20:54 to stay open.
20:56 They invited
20:58 me into their kitchen to see how
21:00 they make some of their dishes.
21:02 This prawn meal, like all
21:04 others, uses a secret
21:06 spice. What makes it
21:08 I mean, everybody has one
21:10 way of cooking. I mean, we
21:12 adapt our technique in our way where
21:14 it sells and people like the flavours and all
21:16 that. Because when you're mixing spices
21:18 you have to try and balance all the
21:20 spices up to mix that flavour.
21:22 So, everything is
21:24 differently measured in a different quantity.
21:26 And that's what you're not going to tell me?
21:28 That's what I'm not going to tell you.
21:30 With so many options to choose from
21:32 on the menu, I had a
21:34 try of some of their vegan-friendly
21:36 dishes.
21:38 This is their kora. It's one of
21:40 their vegetarian dishes here.
21:42 It's lightly spiced and they say they've done
21:44 that on purpose with a vegetable dish.
21:46 Because the vegetables have their own
21:48 different flavours and
21:50 unlike meat, they don't want to overpower it.
21:52 It's absolutely gorgeous
21:56 and you can taste some spice in
21:58 there but it's not overpowering.
22:00 And then of course, you need
22:02 some sides.
22:04 These are ladies' fingers and to the best of my
22:06 knowledge, I don't think I've ever had one.
22:08 But they do taste a little bit
22:10 like a baby courgette.
22:12 And they can be paired very nicely with this.
22:14 And of course, the classic side to get
22:20 is a samosa and it goes very nicely
22:22 with this tamarind.
22:24 Gabriel Morris
22:26 for KMTV in Rochester.
22:28 Delicious.
22:32 It's really nice. Well, I also got to try
22:34 some of those curries earlier this year.
22:36 I also got to try some of those curries earlier this year
22:38 and that will be up on our website if you wanted to
22:40 watch that episode back.
22:42 But finally, tonight, at the start of the show,
22:44 we spoke to Claire who runs an independent
22:46 bakery in Tunbridge. Many businesses
22:48 across Kent will say that shopping locally
22:50 provides better quality and
22:52 freshness but that can be often more expensive
22:54 for the consumer.
22:56 These are some of the challenges for independent businesses
22:58 especially during a cost of living
23:00 crisis. We're now joined with
23:02 Flo from Produce in Kent to speak
23:04 about this a little bit more. Flo, thanks
23:06 for joining us. Now, this must be one
23:08 of the big challenges for local people as
23:10 the consumer will often look for the
23:12 cheapest option, won't they? So how can that have an impact
23:14 on independent businesses?
23:16 I think it's
23:20 all about telling the story behind
23:22 local food and drink
23:24 and of course, there's
23:26 a cost to local food and drink
23:28 and then there's the additional
23:30 costs now because
23:32 production costs have risen,
23:34 supply chain issues are
23:36 continuing, staff shortages
23:38 are still a problem in the sector and there's
23:40 higher energy costs.
23:42 All that constitutes a cost
23:46 to the food but I think we also have to
23:48 focus on the value of local food
23:50 and drink and what
23:52 it adds to the local economy,
23:54 it provides employment,
23:56 puts money back into the region,
23:58 it's attracting visitors to the region,
24:00 it's providing
24:02 a pride of place
24:04 so it has a value
24:06 to the community, it provides hubs
24:08 to come together, local
24:10 shops, local pubs, local
24:12 restaurants.
24:14 It's an enormous value to the environment,
24:16 we look after the soil,
24:18 local food and drink producers
24:20 they look after our countryside,
24:22 our very characteristic countryside,
24:24 they usually work with shorter
24:26 supply chains and they also
24:28 provide a value
24:30 for our health and well-being
24:32 because local
24:34 and sustainable produced food and drink
24:36 usually has a greater nutritional
24:38 value. So I think it's
24:40 of course you have to explain
24:42 the reason behind
24:44 the cost of local food and drink but I
24:46 think also you have to focus on the story
24:48 and the value it provides.
24:50 And we saw...
24:52 We should focus a little bit more on that.
24:54 Some of those pictures we saw coming up on the screen
24:56 were from some of the people we've had
24:58 on Made in Kent this year, independent businesses
25:00 particularly struggled during
25:02 Covid but then we also saw
25:04 this new wave of people
25:06 supporting their local businesses and remaining
25:08 loyal. So
25:10 how in general did
25:12 Covid have an impact? Because there would have been
25:14 some downfalls but there would
25:16 have been, as I said then, people
25:18 supporting their local businesses and trying to help them
25:20 get through it. How has that had an impact?
25:22 I think
25:24 it certainly has helped
25:26 the local food and drink sector
25:28 in perhaps a
25:30 slightly warped way.
25:32 But it was maybe one of the few benefits
25:34 that came out of the pandemic because it
25:36 really shone the spotlight
25:38 again on local food and drink.
25:40 People were forced to
25:42 buy close to home,
25:44 they couldn't venture far out
25:46 especially in the first and second lockdown.
25:48 So they kind of rediscovered
25:50 what was on
25:52 their doorstep. And also a lot
25:54 of businesses, because they lost
25:56 their trade
25:58 contracts, they lost their catering contracts,
26:00 they had to pivot.
26:02 So a lot of businesses started
26:04 to trade directly with customers. So you
26:06 had farms who started to sell directly
26:08 from the farm to people in their
26:10 area. So people started to also
26:12 rediscover the realities behind
26:14 those businesses and met directly with
26:16 the owners and heard the story
26:18 behind that local food and drink.
26:20 So I think it opened up a whole
26:22 new understanding of
26:24 the industry that is
26:26 here in Kent.
26:28 Flo, thank you very much
26:30 for joining us this evening. Great to speak to you.
26:32 And we're going to be hearing more from you
26:34 throughout Maiden Kent, so I'll speak to you soon. Thanks Flo.
26:36 Thank you. That's all from us
26:38 here at KMTV. I'll be back at the same time
26:40 next week on Tuesday. I'll see you then.
26:42 Goodnight.
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26:48 [music]
26:50 [music]
26:52 [music]
26:54 [music]
26:56 [music]
26:58 [ Silence ]