Sustainability Spotlight | Fika Exeter
Fika Exeter is an artisan Swedish micro-bakery run by Swedish baker and jazz singer Annika Skoogh Naish.
We asked Annika to tell us more about her business and its sustainability ethos. But first - a little about Annika and Fika Exeter.
Annika brings ‘A taste of Sweden’ with her much sought-after handcrafted Swedish buns and pastries, using organic ingredients and unrefined sugar. She also crafts nutritious sourdough bread using organic stoneground and wholegrain flour.
And that's not all! You can learn how to make sourdough and Swedish buns at one of her popular workshops which she runs from her micro-bakery at home in Exeter.
Fika Exeter’s intention is to contribute to a regenerative, resilient and accessible food system from field to table; it uses 100% organic UK wheat, rye and oats, the majority of which are locally grown and sourced from smaller-scale farmers and millers here in the South West - in most cases directly with Devon farmers.
Annika mills all the wholegrain flour needed for her sourdough breads and sweet Fika goodies using her Mockmills electric grain mill, to retain the highest level of nutrition and flavour for her customers.
Not only is wholegrain flour way more delicious and much more nourishing, it also pays respect to the farmers who grow it.
What have you done to make your business more sustainable?
I always strive to be as local as possible and so the majority of the ingredients are sourced locally, seasonally and are organic.
Using suppliers with a commitment to sustainable food systems, together with foraging and homegrown seasonal berries and fruits from my allotment - all reduce the carbon footprint associated with transportation and foster good relationships with the local community.
I take pride in having zero food waste due to carefully planned market bakes, zero bakery waste during prep processes, and very supportive customers who turn up every Saturday to my stalls around Exeter and further afield.
Fika Exeter is now a zero plastic micro bakery, using eco-friendly packaging, eco labels and eco ink, even eco cling film made from natural, recyclable sugarcane plant-based material which leads to a net positive carbon footprint.
Some regular Fika customers bring their own tubs to the stalls. In fact this year I'm going to encourage this further by offering a small discount as a reward.
I am constantly exploring new ways to improve and to reduce the impact on the planet. I'm a proud member of the South West Grain Network (SWGN), which is a collective of farmers, millers and bakers who are actively building an alternative grain economy; one that is human-scale, non-commodity and grounded in friendship and collaboration.
Just one of the exciting developments to come out of this Network has been the ‘True South West Flour Project’.
The south west farmers within the network are producing grain which is a blend of Mariagertoba, a spring sown population wheat originating in Denmark developed by Anders Borgen and Wakelyn’s YQ, a winter sown population wheat.
Unlike conventional wheat, population wheats offer biodiversity and resilience, adapting to adverse conditions and improving over time.
This project offers consumers a genuine product that is entirely traceable and has minimal impact on the environment.
I feel very privileged to have access to these grains through the network and I use it in all my bakes whether it’s sourdough bread, pastries or biscuits - along with freshly stone-milled ancient and heritage grains using my Mockmills.
I am also a supporter of the Real Bread Campaign, a charity which does fantastic work bringing awareness of what ‘real bread’ is and enforcing supermarkets to label their bread correctly. We've just marked the annual ‘Real Bread Week’ in February. This international awareness-raising week celebrates additive-free bread and the people who make it.
Local collaborations also play an important part in Fika's sustainable ethos. It’s very important to me to support local suppliers and other artisan makers. My chocolate comes from Nicola at Exe Chocolate just a few miles away; organic vanilla from Little Pod just outside Exeter; Belinda’s organic eggs from Rushford Mill Farm in Chagford, organic dairy ingredients come from Riverford Dairy in Buckfastleigh, organic grains and flour from Andy at Fresh Flour also based in Buckfastleigh, and organic grains from farmer George at Fortescue Farm only six miles away.
Running a small micro-bakery on your own with 2am early starts to bake everything fresh can be challenging at times, but it’s all made worthwhile when seeing my lovely and loyal customers.
I’m in the fortunate position to follow the supply chain from start to finish, with face-to-face relationships with local suppliers, using their produce to create my Fika goodies and seeing the end result with my customers in person on market days. I pride myself in knowing that when my customers come to my Fika stalls and buy a sourdough loaf, bun, biscuit or anything else I make, a lot of thought has really gone into the ingredients and where they come from.
What would you like to change in the future to improve your sustainability credentials further?
An optimal change would be using a solar panel system to power as much of the electric equipment in the micro bakery as possible.
To keep track of where Annika will be popping up at a market near you, follow Fika on Facebook and Instagram.
March Market dates so far:
Topsham Saturday Market (1 March)
Pullo, Fore St, Exeter (8 March)
Topsham Saturday Market (15 March)
Farmer’s Fayre, Chagford (29 March)