Lammas observed at Borough Market and Southwark Cathedral

The first grains of wheat from the harvest were milled by hand on Friday by the Dean of Southwark, the Very Revd Andrew Nunn, in the Bread Ahead bakery in Borough Market.

Over the weekend the new flour was baked into a harvest sheaf, a small loaf and several Cathedral loaves for use in the Lammas-tide ceremony.

On Tuesday as he sprinkled holy water to bless the bakery, Southwark Cathedral Sub Dean, Canon Michael Rawson, spoke warmly of the deepening links between Bread Ahead and the cathedral. This was especially poignant because of the way in which Bread Ahead and cathedral staff had given mutual support after the attacks last June on Borough Market.

Bread Ahead's Matt Jones , Louise Gellatly who made the harvest sheaf, and the other bakers processed with the loaves to the cathedral for a short service.

One loaf was used at the midday Eucharist service when bread is broken and shared.

Lammas, which dates from Saxon times, falls on 1 August and is a thanksgiving for the first-fruits of the wheat harvest. The custom has been observed in Borough Market since 2014.