Sourdough Course Reviews

Food is medicine, but very few doctors are trained in nutrition. Vanessa has an ability to translate the ‘art’ of bread making into a language that crosses the divide between art and science. She links pathways from different disciplines to demonstrate that the way in which we eat bread will impact both the body and mind. No doctor has ever been able to explain digestion in such a graphic manner. This will allow bakers and scientists to interrelate around the central theme of the gut microbiome. It engages you fully in a process that is achievable, whilst giving you an insight into digestion and its effect on health. This is a real-world application course, where you will learn how you can use our most basic food to help optimise your health and prevent disease. It doesn’t stop there, because your Practitioner's Prescription Licence means that you to use your understanding as a social prescription bread making course direclty to your patients. It is lifestyle medicine at its best!

Sourdough Club Review

I’d like to take a moment to appreciate “The Sourdough Club” and share my feelings regarding the delightful journey I’m currently experiencing.
A gift of membership for any of us would be divine, I have been exceptionally blessed with mine! My life has become invigorating and I sparkle each day because “The Sourdough Club” has offered me the ability to shine ? to grow, blossom, and flourish!
Yes, I could be one of the ingredients of Vanessa’s botanical blends. A flower waiting patiently to enhance a little flavour into someone’s day, to remind ourselves of all that is great with the world instead of being disappointed and dismayed by all that troubles us.
To be honest, if your heart is with the sourdough, this club will present you with an opportunity to learn, challenge yourself and embrace the knowledge provided online.
Vanessa offers recorded video guidance for us all to watch, participate in and the option to share conversations online with like-minded members.
I do all of these things and more; I’ve watched webinars and I post my bakes via the member’s “Sourdough Club” group.

Goodness, am I beginning to sound like an advertisement?! If I were, I’d implore you to join and actually yes I guess I am. I would love those of you reading these reviews to be inspired, to be invigorated and enthusiastic about what we have to say. The truth, for me, is that “The Sourdough Club” has changed my life for the better. Through my membership, I’m learning to bake wholesome nourishing sourdough bread, cakes, puddings, sweet and savoury treats. I’m also being stimulated and this in turn has improved my mental health. I want to learn more, I want to embrace the opportunity, I want to succeed and I can because “The  Sourdough Club” has enabled me to do so.
It’s given me my happiness back and it’s reminded me of what’s important to me. If you have the slightest interest in baking, in sourdough, if you’re interested in our microbiome, in diversity, in the environment, then it’s all here in “The Sourdough Club”. Do you want to share our joy, our purpose, our pleasure?

Depending on how you’d like to personally develop, I feel that membership of “The Sourdough Club” will give you the confidence to achieve so much more than just the ultimate bake.
I am now in my eighth month of membership and gosh how those months have flown by!

You my friend are at the beginning of a fabulous journey, don’t be shy, come join us! You’ll feel welcomed and supported from day one. If you choose to take this step, to commit, you may surprise yourself and in time, become a sourdough mentor who wants to help others. You may enjoy a new hobby or even make new friends. There are no limitations to your potential. I haven’t reached mine yet, but in the meantime, “Happy Baking!”

Both the Sourdough Club & The School are amazing.

I attended the 4-day diploma course and I can honestly say it is life changing. Vanessa has an incredible breadth and depth of knowledge about gut health and nutrition, and how they affect literally every aspect of our being. Combine this with her immense passion for her subject and it’s a potent combination!

Over 5 days in her beautiful home we learned about how overly processed and homogenised food harms us, and how we can improve digestibility, nutrient absorption and overall health by introducing diversity into our food, thereby encouraging the helpful bacteria that assist us in maintaining health.

Since returning from the course I have of course continued to bake sourdough bread but have incorporated a whole host of other delicious fermented foods into my diet. Food that is quick and simple to prepare so it fits into a busy lifestyle, but tastes amazing and has left me feeling physically fitter, mentally sharper and emotionally uplifted.

Did you know that there are certain lactic acid bacteria that have been scientifically proven to work better than antidepressants? Neither did I. But it’s true and it’s just one of the things l learned from Vanessa.

Go on a course, or join the club. Go with enthusiasm and an open mind. You’ll be welcomed with open arms, and Vanessa’s warm-hearted approach to improving your life one delicious product at a time. You will never regret it!

If you are interested in looking after your health and care about what you feed your family then this course is for you. From the moment you walk into the Sourdough School, Vanessa makes you feel incredibly welcome. You soon become engrossed in her passion for sharing her extensive knowledge and vast experience of all things sourdough. You will be taken on a fun filled journey of knowledge as you discover how critical it is to look after your microbes! I certainly left with the enthusiasm to start baking and eating in a way that is not only enjoyable but beneficial to me and my family.

It was 5 days well worth it, I learnt so much not only about sourdough bread and the associated goods, but so much more. For example on the Diploma course you also learn about how to make fermented drinks and foods such as cultured yogurts and butter etc. Vanessa’s knowledge is vast, her research in digestibility & nutrition which combines with making sourdough on the course is inspiring, so now I would be to explain the science and health benefits of sourdough to my customers when I start my own micro bakery, selling not only sourdough bread but all those other things I learnt on the course. I highly recommend the course to anyone who is serious about learning about making sourdough and associated products.

I spent the most amazing 3 days with Vanessa and a wonderful small and perfectly formed group of people on the June Bread and Guts course.
Vanessa's knowledge is incredible and inspiring... she has an ability to connect and communicate with people of all levels to ensure all understand and move forward. The school itself is beautiful everything in it has its place and seems to fit perfectly its a joy to cook and prepare food without the pressure of life and in such a lovely environment with such lovely people.
I learnt so much in three days it has ignited something in me to find out more and i have a need to learn and stay close to the Sourdough School, i am so excited about the journey I can take with what i have learnt and what i can learn.

In summary an inspiring and beautiful three days, worth the time, money and commitment, the whole experience stole my heart I can't wait to come back Xx

With her vibrant stories, passion for fermented bread and a stunning amount of knowledge Vanessa is able to turn a group of strangers into a group of befriended sourdough addicts within two days.
This course was just the beginning of our personal health- and sourdough stories. I look forward to the follow-up in 12 months.
In the meantime the app-group created for this course buzzes with questions, pictures of freshly baked loafs and supportive messages.

Absolutely amazing and useful because it's not a course about bread, it's a course about sourdough: its features, its beneficial advantages, the factors that affect the way it works and how to control them. In other words the essential knowledge you must learn before approaching to baking, the real starting-point.
An enlightening experience at a technical and even at a human point of view.
Many thanks and congratulations to Vanessa, who is truly a great great Master!!!

The Diploma Course at the Sourdough School was literally a dream coming true. I wanted to learn how to be intuitive about sourdough... I wanted to learn how to feel it... I was already baking ok bread, but it was white and didn't have that much personality. I have been sick for quite a while and was very apprehensive about a whole week away from home. The phone interview with Vanessa was reassuring... She was even warmer than I was used to on the Instagram videos. I had no reason to fear, as the group had been handpicked and we all fell in Love with each other! And the school...I felt that I had already been there in the past!!! After the first couple of days, I felt at home... Vanessa as a teacher is a delight! Her knowledge about the science and art of delicious bread that nourishes body and soul is incomparable and I drank every word and every movement! We learned all the recipes in the plan, as well as how to include more fermentation and sourdough into other preparations that were more unexpected. There was laugh, there were tears, there was food and a big family around a big table.
I learned so much... I made friends that I miss and talk every day, I bake several times a week... I feel like I found myself again in The Diploma Course at the Sourdough School was literally a dream coming true. I wanted to learn how to be intuitive about sourdough... I wanted to learn how to feel it... I was already baking ok bread, but it was white and didn't have that much personality. I have been sick for quite a while and was very apprehensive about a whole week away from home. The phone interview with Vanessa was reassuring... She was even warmer than I was used to on the Instagram videos. I had no reason to fear, as the group had been handpicked and we all fell in Love with each other! And the school...I felt that I had already been there in the past!!! After the first couple of days, I felt at home... Vanessa as a teacher is a delight! Her knowledge about the science and art of delicious bread that nourishes body and soul is incomparable and I drank every word and every movement! We learned all the recipes in the plan, as well as how to include more fermentation and sourdough into other preparations that were more unexpected. There was laugh, there were tears, there was food and a big family around a big table.
I learned so much... I made friends that I miss and talk every day, I bake several times a week... I feel like I found myself again in this experience. It was much more than I could hope for... I am forever grateful! ???

A thought provoking and challenging course. After a week at the sourdough school I have learnt new skills, have become more confident in my approach to baking and have developed my understanding about how food affects not only our physical well being but our mental health as well. I also met some really lovely people too.

At the beginning of March I attended the 1 week bread/ nutrition and digestion diploma course having previously ( 3 years ago) loved a one day sourdough clinic which had really inspired me.
My first impression on returning to the Sourdough school was how far it has come. Vanessa now has a fantastic teaching space which is super well thought out and has a wonderful energy.
The group was so varied, with different specific interests which Vanessa managed to address at all times so that we all felt the course was custom made for us.
Personally it refined my bread making skills and reinforced ideas that I had been thinking about on nutrition and digestion. I learnt so much, made a room full of new baking friends and loved every minute

I got so much out of my visit to the Sourdough School. As self taught, there were a lot of gaps in my knowledge and this surgery day helped me to join so many dots. I am not quite there yet but I am hopeful and also braver. Thank you!

I attended the Nutrition and Digestibility of Bread and the Gut Microbiome one day course last weekend and had a fantastic day. Vanessa welcomed us into her home and wonderful kitchen and shared her incredible knowledge and resources. She provided a delicious lunch with incredible sourdough (of course), fermented foods and fresh ingredients and the day was structured so we had time for a walk after lunch. She also gave us some starter to take home and access to an incredible amount of research, resources and recipes online. I learnt loads and met some really lovely people too. I came away inspired and eager to share the knowledge with my clients, friends, family.
I would recommend this course if you are keen to understand why sourdough is so nutritious, the history behind industrialisation of cereal growing & the bread making process and the problems this has caused and want to learn about the importance of our gut microbes and how to keep them well fed.
Thank you so much Vanessa, your passion for what you do is inspirational!

Thank you for an amazing day. As a doctor I believe that nutrition is key to health and wellbeing. Gluten and bread is often maligned nowadays, however as your course wonderfully demonstrates they are not evil per se, rather it is the changes that have occurred to wheat and the bread-making process that are causing harm, and if we can return to traditional methods of making bread with organically grown wheat (and heritage grains) we can turn bread back into what it was meant to be - a living and life-giving food!

I simply wanted to thank you for a wonderful day last Saturday. It was utterly inspirational, and hugely enjoyable. Your enthusiasm, coupled with your lively teaching method, are infectious. My wife said I didn’t stop talking about it for hours! As I write this I am refreshing the starter I brought from the School, as well as the rather sad “mother” of the one you tasted on Saturday. I think it will return to life - I did apologise to it as you suggested!
Thank you, once again, for a memorable day. I am desperate to get baking again. I hope you are having a wonderful time in Italy and gaining as much inspiration as we all did from you.

What a fantastic week we have had - 7 days of knowledge sharing, laughter and friendship, becoming a real sourdough family and of course with lots of sourdough making. I feel so privileged to have been shown not just how to make fantastic bread but the principles behind it and with a journey into understanding so much more about digestion and healthy eating. Vanessa is a great teacher - she is passionate, affectionate and demands your attention. As students we were nurtured as well as the sourdough starter - given sustenance, space, exercise and energy. I have come away energised at a time when I step onto a new pathway that will involve taking this knowledge far and wide. Thank you Vanessa for your friendship and your effort.

I went to the Sourdough School in October of 2018. I traveled to Northampton from Alaska. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to meet Vanessa and to learn from her in her beautiful school and garden. I am happily baking back at home today and the website is a fantastic tool as well. My son, Iver, loves watching her video tutorials and is also baking bread using Vanessa's methods. Beautiful food, location, students, and learning environment. Thank you for all the hard work! Her assistant Lucy was also so very helpful in answering questions and helping me plan the trip. Lucy helped me arrange a tour of the local vineyard. That was so much fun and I learned so much! With Vanessa's help I was able to get the starter home healthy as well. Hope to see you all again one day. Much love. Lacy

My brother bought me the book for my birthday but I was keen to see sourdough breadmaking in practice - so it was natural to choose this course. Sadly, Vanessa told us that she won't run the one day course in future. I fully understand why so feel especially lucky to have attended the last one. The loaves I've made since then are extremely edible, thanks to Vanessa. I'm sure there is lots of room for improvement but am now feeling more confident about sourdough baking.

Faced with having to give up bread because of a gluten intolerance, little did I know when I went searching for a book on sourdough, that the book I chose would lead me down such an exciting path of exploration. ‘The Sourdough School’ is unlike any cookery book I had read before and I realised I was going to have to really sit down and study this one, rather than choose a recipe and start cooking. My husband was so entranced by my enthusiasm that he offered the 2 day Sourdough for Health to me as my 60th birthday present. I can only say that this was like no other cookery course I had been on. Right from the word go, Vanessa entranced us with her infectious enthusiasm for the world of sourdough and fermentation and how it could improve our health but also how enjoyable it could be. Our group gelled really quickly and I felt I had joined a community of like-minded passionate people. We ate the most beautiful food for lunch and Vanessa’s generosity with her recipes and experience knows no bounds and the two days sped past. The course did not end on Sunday evening as we also have access to a detailed website with background research, detailed ‘how to’ pages and recipes. I cannot thank Vanessa enough for starting me on my sourdough journey and for her passion to share sourdough with everyone.

Vanessa is a generous, inspiring and passionate woman, her enthusiasm is contagious and her knowledge is immense! Her warmth and kindness radiates out of her and her cookery studio! It’s impossible not to catch the sourdough bug! Come prepared to be challenged and encouraged to build your skills and leave loving having learnt how to create fantastically simple, yet complex delicious dishes! I will definitely be putting these skills into action! Thank you Vanessa and your team