Phil Howard and Julian Dyer Reopen Fulham’s Little Sourdough Kitchen, Preserve Traditions

Little Sourdough Kitchen, the compact sourdough-focused bakery on Munster Road in Fulham, will reopen at the end of January after being acquired by chef Phil Howard and restaurateur Julian Dyer. The new owners say they will take a light-touch approach - a short refurbishment, retention of the original team, and careful menu evolution that keeps the bakery’s core bread and viennoiserie while introducing new items.

The plan keeps the house staples that regulars rely on and expands into heritage grains and Scandinavian pastry. Menu additions will include a Danish Brunsvieger and a Heritage Loaf made from spelt, einkorn and rye. On-site leadership will be strengthened by Anna Konig and Ben Costello joining the team, working alongside existing bakers to ensure continuity in technique and daily production.

For local customers and sourdough bakers, the practical value is immediate: familiar favourites should remain on the counter, and the new Heritage Loaf signals a commitment to grain diversity and flavour led by older wheat varieties. The combination of spelt, einkorn and rye opens opportunities for different textures and fermentation profiles, appealing to those who follow grain-led baking trends and community bakers interested in experimenting with loaves with more character and nutritional interest.

The buyers’ stated emphasis on a light-touch refurbishment aims to protect the bakery’s identity while upgrading facilities where needed. Retaining the original staff preserves institutional knowledge around starters, hydration and proofing schedules - the sort of hands-on craft that keeps a neighbourhood crumb reliable. That continuity also matters to supply partners; the owners have pledged to work with local suppliers and to maintain charitable partnerships that served the bakery’s community role.

Beyond product and personnel, reopening Little Sourdough Kitchen helps sustain the corner-bakery ecosystem in Fulham. A steady outlet for local mills and ingredient producers supports the regional chain of small suppliers that many bakers rely on. Charitable partnerships tied to the bakery can deliver surplus bread and community baking projects, keeping the place more than just a retail counter.

Expect a short closure for the refit followed by a familiar lineup of sourdough loaves and viennoiserie, with a few new arrivals that nod to heritage grains and Nordic pastry. For regulars and the wider sourdough community, this is a preservation of a local starter and a modest invitation to try a new crumb or a Brunsvieger swirl when the doors reopen at month end.