Opening The Taranaki Sourdough Bread Company to produce and deliver good quality bread, food and coffee was the long time, dream come true for Paddy Gordon and Lesley Trenwith.

Before opening the business, Paddy was a part owner of Circus Aotearoa, working in the business as the director in charge of logistics and compliance. He co-owned the business with his brother Damian and sister-in-law Irene and worked alongside Lesley during the circus season on the road.  You could say that we ‘ran away from the circus to open a bakery’.

Paddy kept the circus on the road and fed the performers. Feeding the performers came naturally to Paddy, as he has always had a passion for good food.

The Taranaki Sourdough Baking Company has been a hit with the locals and those travelling up and down State Hwy 3 and has built a loyal following since opening in November 2019.

While Paddy and Lesley travelled all of New Zealand with Circus Aotearoa, it was Stratford that captured their attention as a place to open the new sourdough bakery business. Lesley having had a longtime connection to Taranaki, being raised in New Plymouth and having family in the region, it was an easy choice to make Stratford their new home in 2017.

Paddy baked his first loaf of sourdough bread eight years ago. While looking after a property in Raglan, it was 80km to the shops and so every round trip that was made, we would always buy a loaf of locally made sourdough bread and so became hooked on good quality bread.

We love Stratford, the locals always have time to stop and have a chat. The couple find it so nice after years in the city and 10 years on the road – It’s the people make the town and we love that they love what we do.