Panary

Cookery Course

Panary is run by Paul Merry from a working watermill at Cann Mills. He offers a wide range of baking courses for all levels of expertise that usually include a tour of the working mill with miller Michael Stoate to explain the process. Courses run for one or two days and cover topics such as Basic Breads & Fermentation; Italian; Flatbreads; Traditional British Breads; Sourdough; French Sourdough, and even an Adult & Child option. With only six to a class, you’ll get Paul’s (almost) undivided attention and that means, hopefully, your bread can’t fail to rise. And with such local ingredients as olives from Olives et Al and Ashmore cheese, the results should be special.

However, should you be looking to bake bread as more than just a hobby, why not try his three-day residential course? Here you can set your own programme deciding what breads you wish to make or learn about wood-fired ovens and get tips on going pro from Paul himself. He also runs Apprentices’ Days every Thursday, where he invites trainee bakers to help him bake bread for retail sale in nearby Shaftesbury.

Real bread-heads might want to go on the spring or autumn Baker’s Tour of France that’s a one-week whistle-stop trip of the Rhone, from Grenoble to Aix,. You’ll  visit artisan bakeries, flour mills and local markets and pick up tips and techniques from the area’s master craft bakers.