There’s a delightful new bakery in Nottingham Road – Miche Bakehouse. Stop there as soon as you can if you haven’t already. You won’t be disappointed. Grab a Country Loaf, a frozen (sliced) Sourdough Sandwich loaf, a block of homemade butter, a jar of the best sweet and sour pickles around, a jar of their moreish onion jam, and enough Choc Chip Cookies and White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Cookies to full up the jar at home! Best of all – everything in the bakery is sourdough based and gentle on the gut.
You’ll find Miche Bakehouse between the Pilates studio ‘Pause’ and Pam Golding Estate Agency – in The Meander Square (opposite Gowrie Village). Their name is inspired by the French word “Miche”- given to a very large, rustic sourdough bread made from a natural leavening (ask them all about this when you visit) and usually weighing between 1,5 - 5kgs! Typically, it would also have a high percentage of wholewheat flour, making it more nutritious.
For partners and bakers Dave Goncalves (39) and Lyndsay Zinn (35) – this is a better way. “The bread lasted long because of the baking process, and it was good for everyone’s health” says Lyndsay. Dave says that their traditional style loaves also have a high percentage of wholewheat too.
With this in mind, and the dream of creating a family business, Dave and Lyndsay traded in their corporates outfits for chef jackets and moved from Johannesburg to The Midlands during lockdown. Back in the big smoke, when the couple weren’t baking together, Dave worked as a web developer and Lyndsay as a graphic designer. They were also so inspired by their almost three years of travelling around the world – mostly through Europe and Asia. “We travelled for coffee and blogged about cafes along the way,” says Lyndsay. You can still find their inspiring and visually beautiful feed on Instagram under @grindstonerunaways.
Dave says he’s always loved bread, but it was only on their world trip that he discovered bread like no other in Germany and in The Netherlands. “I could eat it without suffering heartburn afterwards and it was all about the sourdough.”
When the couple came home to South Africa, Dave started researching and learning about sourdough. “I was also so happy to do less web development and spend more time working with my hands. I realized there was so much good food to be made without preservatives or chemicals.” He set out to work with his lovely partner Lyndsay to create recipes that are now cooking in their ovens daily in Nottingham Road.
“Instant yeast is just a thing because people are all in a hurry but that is compromising our heath. We are excited to give locals access to a bakery like this – a bakery with good sour dough and a selection of goods that are good for your gut and health.”
And here’s where Ophelia comes in. Who is Ophelia? It’s the name they’ve affectionately given their sourdough starter. Seems apt to name the very thing poured into all your products – and even better, she’s named after the couples favorite Lumineers song, ‘Ophelia’… She’s nurtured, fed and checked on regularly. Dave’s even been known to pop past the bakery at night to feed Ophelia.
“We are excited to build this into a business we could give our children one day. We are also excited about the artisanal, hand-mademovement and want to be part of the change which we see with other young artisans moving into this area.” - Written by Antoinette McDonald for Nottingham Road Tourism.
