A SELF-TAUGHT baker has risen to the top after just six months as a professional.

Mark Woodgate, of Mark’s Cotswold Bakery, based at Matthews Mill in Chipping Norton, has won three awards at the World Bread Awards 2018.

Having spent more than 30 years in the IT sector, Mr Woodgate decided to turn his passion into his day job and became a baker.

He had started making sourdough in his spare time at home in the Aga, but quickly realised he had something special going when friends and neighbours gave rave reviews.

Mr Woodgate's white sourdough with chia seeds placed a silver at this year’s bread awards in London. His other two entries, Cotswold Crunch sourdough and Spelt sourdough, were both awarded bronze.

All three of his entries were made with Matthews flour.

The main ingredient in Mr Woodgate’s silver award-winning sourdough is Matthews Churchill Strong Bread Flour, ground just a few miles away from his home, in the Matthews family-owned mill at Shipton-under-Wychwood.

Mr Woodgate says his silver-scooping sourdough loaf with chia seeds is a healthier option. Chia seeds are rich in fibre and a source of Omega-3 fatty acids, iron and calcium.

Mr Woodgate said: “When I started making sourdough I tried a number of different flours. Once I discovered Matthews premium Churchill White I found it made a huge difference to the quality of the crumb. There are lots of things that affect the quality of a loaf. In the case of the flour, I find the stone ground process used and the lack of over processing through excessive machinery makes a huge difference to my sourdough and is an essential component of my award-winning loaf.

“By handcrafting each loaf myself, I can be sure that I am always providing my customers with the tastiest bread possible.”

The flour used in all his sourdough is produced at the Matthews Mill, which sources wheat from Oxfordshire farmers. It has one of the smallest transport footprints in the UK, travelling as little as 500 metres in some cases from the fields to the mill.

Bertie Matthews, commercial director at Matthews, said: “Mark’s has the same passion for his work as we have at Matthews and this is just one of the reasons he is such a worthy winner. He is not only a talented baker, but he ensures every bake that leaves his kitchen is the best quality it can be.

“At Matthews, we only use the highest quality grain to make our flour, it’s something we pride ourselves on. My father Paul has over 45 years’ experience in flour milling and I am thrilled that his continued hard work to maintain such a high-quality flour means we can supply artisan bakers with the best ingredients to produce even better products.”