Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, is the acknowledged benchmark for fine food and drink. It has been described as the 'Oscars' of the food world and the 'epicurean equivalent of the Booker prize'. Quite simply the Great Taste logo is the sign you can trust when buying food and drink in your local, quality retailer. Ma Baker, Fulham's only micro bakery, is run by Liz Wilson. She scooped two Great Taste Awards in 2016.
Her 100% Rye Sourdough bread with caraway was described as 'A very moist and delicious loaf with very good caraway flavour and a delicate sourdough character, which judges enjoyed.'Her Dark Chocolate and Fennel Oatcakes were described as 'Certainly an oatcake with plenty of chew, a good fennel hit, and very buttery....definitely made by a good baker, very evenly shaped and well baked, wholesome and crunchy.'
Winners are all genuine food people who care about the quality of food and drink they produce. The producers entered 10,000 products with only 141 foods achieving the highest and most coveted rating, three stars. 878 foods won 2 stars and 2520 were awarded a 1 star. That means only 35% of entries were accredited – it's tough.
Liz trained as a Bread Angel with Jane Mason from Virtuous Bread in 2013. Later that year entered the World Bread Awards and was delighted to be awarded the Runner Up prize.
Spurred on, she continued to consolidate her skills as a baker and began trialling classes. As bread orders picked up she decided to go part-time with her Primary School teaching job. By September 2014 she had established Ma Baker, registered as a sole trader, resigned, and was doing 'bread' full-time. She is now making 50 loaves on her bake days and was awarded a grant from The Plunkett Foundation to get a new oven and mixer to increase her output. Her bread continues to receive numerous awards.
Bread Classes have also seen phenomenal growth. Initially Liz was teaching once a fortnight. She is now doing up to 4 different classes a week. Liz is Ma Baker's only employee. Her customer base has grown enormously, and that is down to the quality of the bread she bakes and the warm, practical, and highly informative nature of the classes she gives from her home in London.
Liz has created a unique, viable business from a standing start in a very short time, and is hugely delighted to be the recipient of 2 Great Taste Awards 2016.
