Today I visited Loaf, a social enterprise project in the constituency.

Tom Baker, Loaf’s day-to-day Director talked me through the concept of his community bakery, which he operates each Friday using a hand built brick oven in his back garden. Through Loaf, Mr Baker aims to reinvest money earned from a number of food-based activities, such as staging cookery schools and dinner parties and consultancy, into promoting the benefits of local food.

We also had a chat about the new Stirchley Community Market, an initiative championed by Loaf and other organisations across South Birmingham. The market, which launches on Tuesday the 27th July will operate outside Stirchley United Working Mens Club on the Pershore Road from 4-8pm, and will feature stalls selling wholefoods, bread, hot curry, wood-fired pizza, artisan preserves, cupcakes, local fruit and vegetables, and local arts and crafts.

Having read an article about Loaf, I was keen to show my support to the project because of its social enterprise and for its encouragement of healthy cooking at both home and the work place.

I am delighted that such an inspiring project is taking place in the constituency. Loaf is doing an excellent job at promoting social responsibility, fostering community partnerships and celebrating local produce. The Stirchley market is an excellent initiative and it is great that the people of Selly Oak will have such good exposure to local produce. I look forward to working with Loaf and other partners in the future to help develop community partnerships