If you’re still hesitating with the sourdough starter kit you got for Christmas that makes the task sound more daunting than raising a new born baby, maybe leave it to the experts and go buy a loaf from Jon Warren, founder of Gilda bakery in Bishopsbourne near Canterbury.
Sourdough is the world’s most ancient form of breadmaking (possible it was accidentally stumbled upon by the Egyptians who went on to perfect it), even if it seems only recently it became the most fashionable of foodstuffs and an Instagrammable ‘winning at life’ metric.
Self-confessed foodie Jon received a gift from his mum which piqued his interest - a book by San Francisco sourdough godfather Chad Robertson - and he floured up his hands and got going in his own kitchen, selling to friends and family. Daily demand meant his body clock was soon in sync with early morning oven switch on and overseeing the proving process (as the yeast activates which will enable the loaf to rise).
Gilda Founder and Director Jon Warren
Jon said: “I spent the first year baking from home and started supplying that day, which was great because it was a regular daily order. I had to do it and I had to run it like a business. I couldn't just say no I don't want do it today. I was then delivering it as well. Every day you would learn more but it was really tough as you were getting up at 1.30am-2am to turn the ovens on in the morning.
“And all of those problems that you find as a newbie baker that you just don't know the answer to. It's been quite the journey.
“You kind of live this life every day in the bakery of being kind of terrified and kind of excited and aim to get a balance between the two.”
He took what he had gained from his time in London finance fused with 12 years immersed in the vibrant culinary scene in ‘magical’ San Sebastian in Spain during a formative change of career and decamped back to his Kentish roots for a new adventure.
Jon found what he says ‘couldn’t be a more beautiful spot’ nestled in the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the cinder beam-clad Gilda bakery opened in May 2022.
Gilda's shop is stacked ready for the bread rush hour
The beauty of sourdough is its simplicity. Four ingredients. Flour, water, salt and levain (a sourdough starter that is a combination of wild yeasts and suitable bacteria that can live indefinitely if properly maintained. Imagine the reverence it is shown at Gilda). That’s it. And a lot of love and passion that cannot be measured on the scale.
Jon said: “It’s lovely, it’s special because it’s comprised of so few ingredients. We've just started doing some English muffins and we're highlighting the fact that they’ve only got seven ingredients in total. Look at alternatives and you easily have 20 or 30 ingredients with four or five E numbers to boot.
“I think what people love about it is that it’s a great product and it's completely natural."
The successful Kent and Medway Business Fund (KMBF) application did pay for something that improved Jon’s circadian rhythm - a retarder prover, a programmable cabinet which adjusts and controls the temperature and humidity for the perfect bake. He ummed and ahhed about a bread slicer, but his punters appreciate the extra service.
Some of the equipment funded by the KMBF loan
Jon said: “The equipment was the expensive element. The mixers and the multi-deck Italian ovens are a big investment and to get started, you need a decent amount of kit.
“Of course you can buy a cheaper alternative from China and then end up buying twice because it just won't last. And in a bakery you can't afford to have something that breaks down, not for the customers nor for the staff. I've always tried to buy the best we could to help create a quality hand-finished product. And we’re all about quality.”
He is helped in that quest by his passionate Head Baker Josh and the rest of his trusted team, who bring their enthusiasm and inspiration to work every day.
Cheddar and ale hot cross buns, a heritage wheat loaf and Malaysian vegetable curry buns (which scooped gold at the Taste of Kent Awards last year) are some of the innovations that Jon encourages.
Even his three children with wife Nicole, all under 11 but with decidedly good palates, are starting their foray into the family business early doors; their chocolate fountain suggestion has yet to be ruled out.
Gilda’s evolution has meant Jon has moved out of the bakery to focus full-time on business development.
He said: “I think it sets us apart maybe from other bakeries similar in size is that I've been able to step away from it. If I was still having to be in the bakery, I would be absolutely shattered. I did love it though, because you get so fit. It was a lovely feeling to go to bed physically tired. I do miss that a lot.”
The small band of sourdough entrepreneurs of Kent will understand that, and there’s a fellowship and integrity amongst them where they are quick to lend a hand. His mentor was Adam Pagor in Whitstable.
The curious case of the rapidly-disappearing Cinnamon Morning Buns
As well as direct retail, Jon delivers wholesale to pubs, cafes and restaurants in a 20-mile radius of the Bishopsbourne headquarters and is also committed to farmers' markets, including in Faversham and his favourite, Cliftonville. You have to be quick if you want one of their Cinnamon Morning Buns, which get the most mentions in a Google review.
Jon said: “What I love is that we become part of people’s weekend ritual. It makes you tingle because it says we're not just selling bread, it's actually someone loves that moment in the queue, they chat to the baker after catching his eye, they ask to try some cheese. For us as a brand that’s powerful.”
Gilda is an old English word for ‘golden’. It is also the name of a tastebud-tingling Spanish tapas mouthful combining briny olives, salty anchovies, and spicy guindilla peppers that he feels encapsulates everything “about being natural and delicious”.
Jon added: “The KMBF process was a really great experience and there has been a lot of support all the way through.
“We tick a lot of boxes - we’re a real artisan business, which we have managed to maintain, we’ve grown a lot but we are still doing things in small batches from scratch and that’s how we intend to scale up, we’ve created jobs and we source locally.
“Taking along some samples to the meeting with the KMBF panel might also have helped!”
Further information
- The Kent and Medway Business Fund would love to hear about your brilliant business in Kent and look at how it might help to move things forward. Visit Kent and Medway Business Fund - Kent County Council
- To find out more about Gilda, head to Home - Gilda Bakery
