Alice Blackburne is the kind of person who just makes things happen.

She’s an experienced chef who spent six years working overseas – mostly in Melbourne, but also in London. While she was in London, working at the fine dining restaurant Spring, she had the chance to learn the art of making sourdough.

Fast forward a bit, and Covid-19 comes along, flipping the world upside down. Like so many others, Alice found herself back in New Zealand earlier than planned. She had always intended to move back to the Kāpiti Coast eventually, but the pandemic gave her the push to do it sooner.

And from that, Tironui Sourdough was born.

Tironui Sourdough is Alice’s very own artisan bread-making business, named after her family farm in Te Horo. She runs her baking operation from the kitchen at the Ōtaki-Maori Racing Club, turning out handcrafted breads.

It all started in June 2020, when she was fresh out of isolation and looking for her next move. Having lost her job at the London restaurant due to Covid, she turned back to something she’d already fallen in love with – sourdough baking. Alice got her mum to begin a sourdough starter while Alice was in self isolation, so she could start baking bread when she was out.

At first, she kept things small – selling loaves at craft markets and dropping warm bread into friends’ and family’s letterboxes. Two loaves at a time soon turned into something much bigger, and by 2021, Tironui Sourdough had become her full-time gig.

With lots of trial and error, Alice perfected her craft and now bakes 10 different types of sourdough, including a fruit loaf, bagels, and her signature sourdough muffins.

So, why sourdough?

“I just love baking it,” Alice says. “And I saw there was a real gap in the market. People kept asking for it, so I had to keep up with demand.”

Now, Tironui Sourdough is a well-loved local favorite. Alice supplies her breads to cafes like the Bus Stop in Te Horo Beach and Ripe coffee roasters in Petone.

If you’re looking to get your hands on some, you’ve got a few options:

Wednesday: Home deliveries between Ōtaki and Raumati South, pre-ordered pickups from the racecourse kitchen, and available at Seriously Pickled in Paraparaumu Beach.

Friday: Kitchen door sales and pre-orders at the racecourse, plus available at the Bus Stop Cafe in Te Horo Beach.

Saturday: Waikanae Community Market, home deliveries between Te Horo and Waikanae, and pre-ordered pickups from the racecourse kitchen.

Basically, if you’re into fresh, locally made, artisan sourdough, Alice is your go-to baker. Whether you pick it up at a cafe, market, or straight from her kitchen, you’re guaranteed a loaf made with passion and skill.

If you want to get in touch with Alice for an order, you can call her at 020 4075 9723, email her at tironuisourdough@gmail.com, or check out her website: eattironui.com