Flour & Soul Bakery — Restaurant in Trafford

I attended one of Irina’s sourdough bread making courses on 8th March (a birthday gift from our children) and the experience was a total delight. She is a wonderful host, generous with her time and pastries, knowledgeable and highly skilled. I certainly came away from the course (loaded up with freshly baked and prepared loaves) and with a host of new skills to improve my own capability. I have deliberately delayed posting a review so that I could comment on my results following on from the course. Loaf No1 was a big disappointment during preparation -far too wet but Irina had prepared us for this likelihood and so following her advice I simply made a tin loaf. Resulting appearance was certainly ugly but taste was sublime. After learning my lesson, the subsequent couple of loaves have been really quite good and my confidence has lifted thanks to Irina’s excellent course and follow-up course notes to use for reference. I would certainly recommend this course to anyone looking to enhance their bread making skills in a practical, enjoyable and well structured training course. Thank you...

In May 2025 I was fortunate to have a place on one of Irina's sourdough baking courses. Like many lockdown bakers, I tried my hand at sourdough, but didn't quite perfect a good airy, tasty loaf. Irina has now helped me understand where I was going wrong and enabled me to bake some really professional looking and tasty bread. Furthermore, I've even started my own wild yeast starter with Wisteria blossum as a result of feeling inspired!

As for the class, I consumed three of Irina's excellent pastries, had wonderful coffee and enjoyed learning from a baker who is so at ease with a small group, passing on her knowledge and wisdom. With her useful takeaway notes - backed up with e-notes sent after - and dough we walked away with, it was easy to apply the teachings at home.

Now I just need an oven with inbuilt steam generation and I'll be baking every weekend!

Thanks for a great experience and a...

I recently took part in the sourdough course and thoroughly enjoyed it. The session was extremely well-organised and full of practical tips. We were able to watch each stage of the process and then try it ourselves, guided by Irina’s clear and supportive instructions. I had watched plenty of YouTube videos beforehand, but nothing compares to a hands-on course where you can actually see and feel how the dough should be. I left with a bag of goodies, renewed enthusiasm, and the confidence to bake on my own. Since then, I’ve made my best sourdough yet! I would highly recommend...