Help Helen open Eric's Bakery, East Dulwich

by Helen Evans in London, Greater London, United Kingdom

We did it
On 11th January 2023 we successfully raised £17,053 with 231 supporters in 28 days

Eric's is a small independent bakery which needs your help to raise some money for equipment. Opening in southeast London early next year!

by Helen Evans in London, Greater London, United Kingdom

 New stretch target

More money would go towards giving our annex a makeover, turning it into the perfect seating area for dine-in customers and workshop guests. It would also be used to purchase some tables and chairs, and an espresso machine.


My name's Helen and I've been baking professionally for nearly a decade. I've worked in bakeries from Melbourne (Loafer Bread) to Lima (El Pan de La Chola), and most recently held the position of Head Baker at Flor in Borough Market and then Bermondsey. At Flor my efforts became focussed on building relationships with UK-based farmers and millers and sourcing organically-grown wheats which have less of a detrimental impact on the health of the soil.

Rooting in Southeast London

Eric's is my future and will occupy a space at 20 Upland Road, two blocks from Lordship Lane and one block from the North Cross Road Market (see photo below, red pin is Eric's). My goal is a small neighbourhood bakery committed to championing UK-grown wheat, and perhaps more importantly, only wheat that is a product of low to no-input and organic farming systems. I'll offer sourdough breads (think porridge breads rolled in flaked grains and seeded rolls, 100% rye tins and fruit loaves) and breakfast pastries (croissants, pains au chocolat, morning buns), alongside topped focacce, doughnuts, other sweet and savoury treats and coffee.

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What will set Eric's apart?

Locally-grown wheat! George Young, a friend based near Basildon (Essex) grows both heritage and modern varieties of wheat and mills the grain fresh on-farm. You can't find wheat growing much closer to central London! I'll also continue to support some of my other favourite farmers and suppliers, including Henry from Bruern Estate in the Cotswolds, Andrew at Fresh Flour in Devon and Hodmedod's, amongst others.

Delicious ingredients! We really are spoiled for choice here in the UK, particularly when it comes to dairy. Eric's croissants will contain beautifully cultured butter from Ampersand Dairy in Banbury. You'll also find cheeses from Neal's Yard Dairy on the menu, and veggies grown by Helen and Calixta at Flourish Produce near Cambridge.

Workshops! Eric's will offer classes in bread, laminated pastry, pizza and pasta-making. Come and learn how to make sourdough bread, croissants and puff pastry from scratch, and incorporate wholemeal and freshly milled flour into recipes too. Eric's will also provide a space for collaboration via specialist masterclasses hosted by fellow bakers and pastry chefs. Examples of some of these are listed within the 'rewards' side bar.

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When will Eric's open?

The target is to open by mid-March, in perfect time for pre-Easter hot cross buns!

What will your money go towards?

Your donations will go towards a dough mixer and a pastry sheeter, two fundamental pieces of bakery kit. The dough mixer will help me mix up to 50kg sourdough at a time without having to break a sweat, and the pastry sheeter will help roll out the croissant dough.

Eric's Rewards

I feel lucky to know so many talented and inspiring bakers, and even luckier that some of them have agreed to host one-off workshops with me at Eric's! From an afternoon of summer-pudding-making to an autumnal pie-making masterclass, why not give the gift of a workshop this Christmas. Details will be released upon opening next year, so stay tuned for updates to redeem your workshop credit!

You could also purchase a Limited Edition t-shirt or tote bag printed with the Eric's logo, which has been designed by illustrator Jordan Amy Lee.

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Rewards

This project offers rewards in return for your donation. Please select a reward below.

£15 or more

33 of 50 claimed

a bag of cacao nib and barley sablé cookies

Pledge £15 and collect a bag of buttery sablé cookies, made using cacao nibs and wholegrain barley flour, freshly milled in-house! The perfect complement to a cup of tea or coffee; think buttery shortbread but with an added crunch of cacao.

£35 or more

17 of 150 claimed

a Limited Edition cotton tote bag

Pledge £35 and collect an Eric's tote bag, printed with our logo designed by illustrator Jordan Amy Lee. Can be posted anywhere in the world or collected from the bakery in East Dulwich. Comes with a loaf of bread if collected.

£40 or more

38 of 100 claimed

a Limited Edition Eric's t-shirt

Bag yourself a Limited Edition organic cotton t-shirt, printed with our logo designed by Jordan Amy Lee. Can be posted anywhere in the world or collected from the bakery in East Dulwich. Comes with a loaf of bread if collected.

£200 or more

2 of 6 claimed

Eric's x Anna Higham SUMMER PUDDING workshop

Secure yourself a place at one of our first collaborative workshops. Anna Higham, recently published author of 'The Last Bite' will join us at Eric's to share the secrets behind her famous summer pudding recipe. A fully interactive workshop which will involve the preparation of your own summer pudding for taking home at the end of the class.

£200 or more

4 of 6 claimed

Eric's x Sarah Lemanski AUTUMN PIE-MAKING workshop

Come and learn from Sarah Lemanski, owner and baker at Nova Bakehouse in Leeds and the QUEEN of pies. A fully interactive workshop for six, we'll make use of a bounty of autumnal ingredients and construct a selection of sweet pies. We'll even demonstrate how to integrate some wholegrain flour into the pastry. Recipes will be available to take away, along with the pie you made during the workshop. Bring on those lattice tops!

£10 or more

50 of 50 claimed

an Eric's croissant and a cup of tea/coffee

Let us say thank-you in person over a freshly-baked croissant and a cup of tea or coffee.

£20 or more

50 of 50 claimed

four loaves of Eric's 'Old Kent' wholemeal

Credit for four of our 1kg house wholemeal loaves, made using George's Old Kent Red wheat, available for collection at a time that suits you.

£25 or more

3 of 3 claimed

Hodmedod's British grown pulse bundle

Hodmedod's has kindly donated three of their biggest ever pulse bundles! Pledge £25 and receive a gift of chickpeas, lentils, split and whole fava beans, wrinkly peas and carlin peas. An excellent way to get some extra protein into your new year diet!

£35 or more

4 of 4 claimed

a PASTA SHAMBALA pasta hamper

'Pasta Shambala' is kindly donating four hampers filled with an assortment of her lovingly-prepared pastas, all made with organic, diverse and locally-grown and milled wheats, beautifully colourful pulses from Hodmedod's and biodynamic vegetables from Trinity Farm and Hungary Lane Farm in Nottinghamshire. 18 servings of pasta per hamper. Thank-you Shambala! Available for collection from Eric's, or Small Food Bakery in Nottingham.

£75 or more

4 of 4 claimed

a full tray of Eric's Millionaire's Shortbread

Crunchy emmer biscuit topped with salted caramel and Pump Street chocolate - bag yourself a full tray (18 pieces) of Eric's Millionaire's Shortbread. A special thank-you to Pump Street for donating the chocolate!

£120 or more

6 of 6 claimed

an introduction to sourdough baking with Helen

Join me at Eric's for a fully hands-on sourdough baking masterclass. We'll tackle maintenance of your sourdough starter, integrating freshly-milled flour and whole grains into your home baking, and working with rye. See the whole process start to finish - I'll explain the importance of proper fermentation and demonstrate different shaping and baking techniques. Go home with your bread, recipes and wholemeal flour, fresh from George's mill.

£150 or more

6 of 6 claimed

Eric's x baking with PUMP STREET CHOCOLATE

Our friends at Pump Street Chocolate in Suffolk have kindly donated a chocolate tasting session, to be held alongside a 'baking with chocolate' workshop! Come and learn how to integrate chocolate into all your home baking, from silky ganache tarts to wholegrain barley and cacao nib sablés, followed by some in-depth tutelage on tasting from the real chocolate experts.

£150 or more

6 of 6 claimed

Eric's x Melek Erdal BAKLAVA WORKSHOP

Pledge £150 and join marvellous Melek, creator of the best baklavas in London and myself as we demonstrate how to make and hand-stretch filo using organic heritage wheat, then layer it with fillings into traditional Kurdish baklava. An unmissable one-off experience.

£250 or more

6 of 6 claimed

Eric's x Pam Yung, a VERY special pizza party

Joining forces for ONE NIGHT ONLY, come and enjoy an evening of pizza with the women behind ASAP. This fully interactive experience will involve a dough-making and shaping tutorial, followed by a demonstration in topping and firing by legendary pie slinger Pam Yung. Stick around for dinner (pizza, duh) and drinks.

£1,000 or more

1 of 1 claimed

introduction to lamination and lunch for six

Pledge £1000 and bring five friends to Eric's for a fully hands-on lesson in handmade viennoiserie and puff pastry. We'll mix the dough and laminate the butter by hand, then explore a range of shaping techniques, from croissants to pains au chocolat, to various Danish-style filled pastries. The workshop will culminate in lunch, made using our puff pastry. Take your croissants home for your freezer too!

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