Companions are the people we break bread with. The word is derived from the old French compaignon, literally ‘one who breaks bread with another’, and based on the Latin com (‘together with’) and panis (‘bread’). From Spanish and Italian to Finnish and Russian, the word exists in many languages. Bread connects us, materially and symbolically to each other.
The UK’s Real Bread Campaign has been sharing ways of making bread better for us and for the planet for 15 years. Driven by a bold ambition that touches on politics, education, public health, farming systems and food production to name but a few, its mission starts with a clear, simple and accessible definition of ‘real bread’: bread made without chemical raising agents, so-called ‘processing aids’ or other additives.
“I love knowing that we’re helping ever more people enjoy delicious, nutritious, additive-free food,” says Chris Young, campaign coordinator since 2009. “I love hearing about the joy and sense of achievement people get from making their own bread and seeing this in their smiles. I love knowing how our work is helping people set up and run small, successful businesses. I love that we promote actions that are better for the environment, better for local economies and communities, better for people’s heath and – one I sometimes forget because it is subjective – better for flavour.”
