Maintaining a vegan lifestyle can require a lot of research and creativity. If you thought coming up with dinner recipes was difficult, imagine when it comes to baking. Vegan chef and artisan bread-maker Ed Tatton has paired with partner Natasha Tatton to create a new book that’s full of techniques and recipes for making naturally leavened sourdough loaves, small breads, and earth-friendly small baked goods. Melina Zachariou share more.
Natasha first went vegan in 2014 whilst working at a ski school kitchen after cooking and serving children cheap meat products. It didn’t feel right and led to her eventual vegan diet and lifestyle. Ed followed suit soon after.
They then went on to create BReD which took two years of hard work but it successfully paid off and was evident at their book launch. The venue for the celebratory event was TT Liquor in Shoreditch, a charming bar with a surprising amount of space inside.
After watching a brief introduction in the screening room, we were led into the main space where we were welcomed by the couple. Some of the recipes were available to try; sourdough pizza with courgette and cashew cheese, cinnamon rolls and carrot cake, and a deliciously filling peanut butter bar which had me eager to start baking myself. The whole atmosphere of the night left you feeling both full and ready to get into those pantries in search of flour, water and yeast…
Why Bread?
It’s been a staple of the Western diet for centuries, a unifying food that is inherently vegan. You can eat it with all meals at any time of day and break it and share it. Sourdough is simple in theory, yet complex in practice with so many variables which can affect its end result, making it an ongoing challenge to master.
What is your favourite recipe from the book?
I love the discard recipes – the crumpets and the crepes. They are so simple – not as intimidating as making a whole loaf, and eliminate food waste from feeding your starter.
What is it like working with Ed as a partner and colleague?
Amazing! He is incredibly talented and has a work ethic second to none. We feed off each other, being a rock for one another through difficult times.
Ed is a professional chef who has worked in high-end kitchens in the UK, Australia, New Zealand as well as Canada. He now specialises in making organic naturally leavened sourdough, baking bread, pizza dough, and other small baked goods. Ed’s food is 100% plant-based, which is something he is passionate about highlighting.
Having grown up in care in South London, Natasha believes there aren’t enough role models to encourage care kids to do great in their lives further down the line. She says the spotlight is never on kids in care and that we need more positive role models and success stories.
Was there a big influence in baking throughout your time in care?
Not at all. My diet in care was junk food vegetarian with lots of processed food and some badly boiled vegetables that didn’t taste very nice. I’ve come a long way!
Who was your role model growing up?
I just aspired to be normal. Everyone I went to school with seemed to have working parents and ambitions to go to university. I wanted to fit in and be like them. Statistically care leavers like myself are doomed to prison or mental health institutions, and less than 1% go onto tertiary education.
If you had to eat one type of bread for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
A wholegrain sourdough, such as spelt. It tastes great and is highly nutritious.
What is one of the biggest accomplishments you hope to achieve with the book?
We want to see people baking plant-based all around the world, and sharing it and inspiring each other.
Why did you choose to remove the ‘A’ in your title?
“BReD” is simply a portmanteau of “Ed” and “bread”!
BReD is full of mouth-watering recipes such as the delightfully holey discard sourdough pancakes and the incredibly moreish herb scones with macadamia feta. Have a go at making some scones at home and let us know what you think!
Recipe: Macademia Feta and Herb Scones (Biscuits)
Recipe: Macademia Feta
Written by Melina Zachariou
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