S3 Ep33: Baking real bread and building communities, with Sarah Richards of Seagull Bakery

Sarah Richards always thought she would make her living as an artist. To support her painting, she began baking real sourdough bread, selling loaves from the boot of her car around Tramore, Co. Waterford. What started as a side project quickly took on a life of its own.

Today, Seagull Bakery is an established part of Waterford’s food scene, with three bakeries, a growing team, and a strong reputation for proper sourdough made with care, time, and heritage grains.

In this episode of Food Matters, Sarah talks to Mick Kelly of GIY about the accidental journey from art to baking, what truly defines sourdough (and how to spot “sour-faux”), the pressures facing small independent bakeries, and why questioning food traditions - even Irish soda bread - matters more than ever. At its heart, this is a story about curiosity, good food, and building something real.