Award-winning baker aims aims to help others earn a crust

Dan Booth says baking is therapeutic and calming, and good loaves should not be rushed

An award-winning baker wants to pass on his bread-making skills to help disadvantaged young people.

Dan Booth, from Darlington, recently won "Britain's Best Loaf" for his black pepper and parmesan sourdough.

He aims to expand his not-for-profit business and mentor young adults with learning and behavioural difficulties.

"Bread can be a good tool to help deliver confidence and life skills even if people aren't going to become a baker," the 36-year-old said.

"You're turning three ingredients, water, salt and flour into a magical loaf of bread."

Mr Booth, who has worked in baking for nearly a decade, set up his Bakerman business in the County Durham town in September 2020.

He used redundancy money from his previous job at the Clervaux Trust and a successful crowd-funding campaign to open and kit out the shop.

Dan Booth sells about 300 sourdough loaves a day from his Darlington shop

Within the next 12 months he hopes to secure a bigger business space where he can mentor people aged between 18-25.

Mr Booth said: "That's where my heart is and my also my background from working with the Clervaux Trust, I've seen how bread making is transformative.

"It's hands-on and tactile and you need to use all your senses which can really benefit people on the autistic spectrum. I don't see us training everyone to go on to become professional bakers but it can give people life skills and confidence for their everyday lives."

His expectations for his shop have already been surpassed, employing five people producing hundreds of sourdough loaves a day, as well as other breads, pastries and cakes.

His recently retired parents also now share his love for baking and help out in the shop too.

Mr Booth said artisan bread making relies on a number of things.

"A lot of practise, you've got to make sure you don't rush it and the longer you take over your bread, the better it will be," he added.

"I think the white sliced loaf is a dying bread, people realise bread can be good for them, it can be healthy - rather than just delivering the fillings of a sandwich into it."