Well, as you'd imagine, the story begins a long time ago. In 1904, in a steaming shop on the banks of the River Thames. It was here that the VINE'S family began something that would travel more than a century, and the length of the country, to become the backbone of what we do today. It's pretty simple.
Baking real bread.

Bread made with no shortcuts, no additives, and no machines. There were no such thing as preservatives, 'dough improvers' or conveyor ovens back then, and that's why their recipes, which we still use today, don't allow for any of that nonsense.

Back to 1904, and the hustling family bakery spread across the city to Crisp Street and New Cross. However, old VINE turned out to be a bit of a scoundrel, and The East End shop, backing onto the Thames, was caught trading black market barrels to passing boatmen!

This marked the beginning of the end for VINE'S London Bakeries, and they were soon acquired by the Aerated Bread Company. In 1923, ABC had 150 shops and tea rooms, ran by a man known as "Napoleon" in the London food world. He earnt his name for a reason, and the company developed a method of mass producing bread, by adding carbon dioxide to the baking. As a scientific journal noted at the time: 

"It is not the time-honoured system of kneading dough by the hands and feet of the workman"

But, thank goodness, the family's recipes for real bread remained. Young Emma Vine had this in the back of her mind when the family moved up to Boston. After learning the art of baking at the School of Artisan food, she fulfilled a life-long dream and opened her very own little shop on Lincoln's Steep Hill.

Her award-winning VINE'S Bakery was adored by bread devotees country wide. Serving artisan breads and pastries to people struggling up the hill, she soon became a local favourite.

As Saturday morning loyals, arriving at their door one weekend for a batch of  legendary Kouign Amann, we were heartbroken to see the hand written note- the business was yet another victim of the pandemic, forced to close by spiralling costs and an empty town centre.

My Dad and I took on the bakery in 2022, keeping the same old recipes, the same bannetons and the same baker as before. Since then, we've been baking through the night for fabulous food spots all over Lincoln, guided by a reverence for artisan methods, passed down through the years and kept alive by our Head Baker Rob.

And now you can get your own slice of history, freshly baked for collection from the bakery or a shop near you.

ORDER ONLINE and we'll get kneading.