MEET YOUR [OUTSTANDING] MAKER…Rebecca Rolls of Thoroughbread Foods…
Thoroughbread Foods won two Gold Medals in the 2019 Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards for their Thoroughbread, Paleo Gold and Thoroughbread, Paleo Fruit & Spice Loaf. The excellent news is, these loafs taste great – and that’s even better news if you’re gluten and/or dairy free, because the bread is too! Thoroughbread founder, Rebecca Rolls is an accidental business owner after fundraising got out of hand. Rebecca tells the story in her own words…
“I inadvertently started my business just to raise some money for my son’s computer. My 16-year year old son was showing flare for graphic design but didn’t have a suitable computer. I really felt for him and felt responsible for helping him to take his next step. I made a decision that day, not realising it was going to change the course of my life…
I decided to do anything I could to raise some money for him. Initially I started selling fudge – I didn’t think anyone would want to buy my homemade bread that I had been baking for 16 years. But fudge wasn’t my passion and it bothered me that my children, and myself, had regular access to it. So, in time I decided to take some bread to the market. I took 11 wheat loaves. They all sold. I was delighted. So, I made more for the next week. People kept coming back, so I kept making them.
The biggest challenge has been catering to different dietary requirements such as gluten free, vegan and paleo and still keeping the same quality and eating experiences as wheat bread. Each new challenge seems to ask the impossible. There’s only so much in a loaf that you can take out. But I always end up taking on the challenge. It is one of the most rewarding parts of developing new bread. I call it a mixture of science, art and error!
I have been passionate about bread for 30 years and I love the handmade aspect of production, such as freshly grinding many of our flours.
I believe that what makes our product stand apart is that our bread is so close to normal bread it gives the satisfying experience of taste and texture that people look for in bread. People who have allergies often get very excited that they can have sandwiches again. I have been going to markets for 17 years now and have developed a great rapport with customers.
What keeps me going? I believe there is an emotional connection with customers keeps me baking bread. I think one of our basic emotional needs is to feel valued and, while stocking shops, cafes and restaurants throughout the country, the market gives me this fulfillment. I feel extremely valued by our customers and so satisfied that I can use my skills and passion to help them and provide what they can’t get elsewhere. I can be tired in the morning on a market day, having got up at 4am, but once I start setting up the stall up, and seeing our customers and the smiles on their faces, I am wide awake and ready to serve them and chat.”
Visit Rebecca and her team at the Paraparaumu Market on Saturdays or the Wellington Market on a Sunday. Thoroughbread is widely available in the North Island for stockists and more info visit the website
Tags: Meet Your Maker, Meet Your Outstanding Maker, Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards, Thoroughbread