Lammas Day falls on 1st August and marks the first grain harvest of the year. The name comes from the Old English hlaf-mæsse, meaning “loaf mass”. It was once tradition to bake the first loaf from the new crop and bring it to church in thanks.
Before Christian times, this moment in the calendar was known as Lughnasadh, one of the great Celtic fire festivals. It honoured Lugh, the god of light, skill and harvest, and marked a turning point between summer’s peak and the slow slide into autumn.
Lughnasadh was a time of gathering, feasting and games. Communities celebrated the land’s abundance, offering the first sheaves of wheat in ritual and ceremony. Cutting the grain wasn’t just work — it was sacred.
Strange to think bread was not always available and is only a recent introduction to our daily lives
May the bread always rise in your flavour - Steve and the Grain Team