The Big River Bakery is launching the first-of-its-kind Stottie Trail along the River Tyne this summer, a digital scavenger hunt designed to showcase the region's baking and culinary history. The trail is part of National Stottie Week, now in its third year, which celebrates the iconic Geordie oven-bottom bread.
What is the Stottie Trail?
The digital trail will hide virtual stotties at the sites of historic mills, such as the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead and the CWS building in Dunston. Participants use their smartphones to find these digital breads, learning about the area's rich food heritage along the way. Andy Haddon, co-director of the Big River Bakery, said: "It's the first trail that celebrates the food culture and historic trading history of the river, and others could follow."
Funding and Expansion
Previous Stottie Weeks were run "on a shoestring," according to Haddon, but a £25,000 grant from Airbnb's Best of British Fund has enabled the bakery to elevate the event. The Big River Bakery was one of 25 businesses nationwide to receive the award earlier this year. Haddon noted: "It (the funding) has allowed us to take it to another level. It's a significant investment to create a digital trail, it costs thousands of pounds."
Community and Tourism Impact
Beyond the trail, Stottie Week will feature events involving schools and the local community, with a wider public programme being finalised. The Big River Bakery, a social enterprise, provides free bread to those in need, school breakfast bags, and free baking sessions. Organisers hope the week will boost the local tourist economy, especially with its new date during the summer holidays (August 10-16, 2026), making it accessible to more children and families.
Preserving Local Heritage
Haddon emphasised the importance of celebrating the region's history: "There's so much fragile history and it disappears like the stottie itself, but to bring that back and celebrate through the stottie is a great thing." The trail aims to offer a unique experience for both locals and visitors, blending food culture with the historic trading legacy of the River Tyne.
