A YOUNG baker is spreading the gospel of traditionally-baked bread by opening a new bakehouse.

Ravi Muniandy has turned a favourite hobby into a new business venture by establishing The Breadwinner bakery off Mount Pleasant Road, Reydon.

The 25-year-old set up the bakery in his parents' back garden where he now makes more than a dozen varieties of artisan breads.

And his dedication to natural ingredients has seen him become one of 50 bakers to use the Real Loaf Mark – a stamp guaranteeing products contain no processing agents or artificial additives.

Ravi, who opened his bakehouse last month, said: 'It is a brave move to open a bakery in the current climate, but the whole point of doing it is to provide good bread in the local area.

'I have always been interested in cooking and have done a lot of home baking, but it was my uncle, John Gale, who said I should do it for a living.

'From practising and reading up about it I have got to where I am now – it has been a real learning curve.'

Ravi joined the Real Bread Campaign this year to champion buying freshly-made, locally-produced bread rather than picking up a cheap, mass-produced loaf from a supermarket.

He claims a hand-crafted loaf is tastier, healthier and better for the environment, as all his produce is delivered by bike or on foot.

Speaking about his hopes for the future, Ravi said: 'I have got to see how it goes. I want to try and get my produce into more local shops and hopefully some pubs as well.

'But we want to keep it local – I don't want my bread going to places that are not linked to the local area.'

At present, Ravi sells his bread at Southwold's Country Market on a Friday, and in six local shops including Barbrooks Stores, Reydon; Blythburgh Newsagents and Stores; Nourish Farm Shop at Henstead Arts and Crafts Centre; Hungate health shop, Beccles; Wangford Village Stores and Wrentham Stores.

In recent weeks, he has held a number of taster sessions in Henstead, Wrentham and Wangford to introduce people to his product, with more planned in June.

? For more information about The Breadwinner contact ravi.muniandy@btinternet.com or call 01502 724222. Or to find out more about the Real Bread Campaign visit www.realbreadcampaign.org.uk.