| Where: | Southwark, London at Bread Ahead in Borough Market and Southwark Cathedral |
| When: | 1st August or near date |
| Time: | Usually either 11.45 or 12.15 at the Bread Ahead bakery and 12.15 or 12.45 in the Cathedral |
Lammas is a celebration of the first fruits of harvest time and the name is believed to be derived from early English for “Loaf Mass”. It’s a Christian festival which is on August 1st, to fit with the beginning of the grain harvest, and typically involves thanksgiving for newly baked bread and the food we eat. At Southwark, the event begins with blessings of the premises, staff and loaves at neighbouring Bread Ahead bakery, just over the road from the Cathedral in Borough Market. A small party of clergy enter the bakery and the staff proudly present a wheat sheaf and a variety of loaves before all process into the Cathedral for a short service in which some of the new bread is used in the Eucharist. The loaves are displayed at the altar during the service, and there’s a definite sense of community with the locals and staff.
Helpful Hints
In 2026 it will be on Friday 7th August, with the Blessing at the Bakery at 12.15 followed by the procession to the Cathedral for 12.45. Lammas Day always falls upon 1st August and the Blessing usually takes place on 1st itself but sometimes shifts date to avoid a clash with other Cathedral commitments.
The bakery staff are very friendly and helpful- and they bake some exceedingly tasty treats (highly recommended).
Click here for the Cathedral website: https://cathedral.southwark.anglican.org
and Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/southwarkcathedral
Click here for Bread Ahead: https://www.breadahead.com
and here: https://www.facebook.com/breadaheadbakeryschool
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