‘I thought my partner would be suitably impressed by the fruits of my labours on the course, but I wasn’t prepared for the look of sheer delight on his face every time he tries the bread. Priceless!'

This is where you start to understand how to make good bread. No pointless instructions (like ‘make a well in the flour’). Nor the small deceits of ‘one I made earlier’.

On this course, you make bread with your own hands from flour to loaf. Complete beginners are given a sound introduction, while those with some experience improve their range and understand – often for the first time – why things work the way they do (or sometimes don't). We cover the five crucial stages of proper breadmaking – mixing, fermenting, shaping, proving and baking – by way of basic yeasted and sourdough breads. Then we move on to other recipes, each demonstrating a different and delicious way of using the fermentation process.

After two days immersed in bread, you take home everything you have baked – plus a signed copy of Andrew Whitley’s recipe book and your own organic cotton apron.

All meals are provided, including dinner on the evening of the first day. Numbers are limited, so everyone gets plenty of guidance. Questions are answered and discussion brings insights into the wider world of bread and health. The surroundings are intimate and yet professional, the atmosphere purposeful yet relaxed.

It is an exhilarating mixture of physical activity and thought-provoking ideas. At suitable moments, Andrew tells the story of how he came to start the Village Bakery. And it is all leavened with a little laughter. One person described Bread Matters Fundamental as ‘hugely enjoyable, inspirational and I suspect quite unforgettable’.