Freson Bros. Famous Sourdough Starter!

Freson Bros. famous sourdough starter, Charlie is turning seven on November 17! Meet some of his family, learn his history (and why he’s so famous).

Plus – Charlie’s 7th Birthday Celebration – what’s in it for you!

When there’s a birthday celebration for a sourdough starter you know this guy must be a big deal. Charlie – Freson Bros. famous sourdough starter turns seven on November 17!

Thanks to Charlie, Freson Bros. iconic sourdough bread was recognized this year with the Best Baked award in Edify Magazine and a piece of Charlie sits in the World Sourdough Library in Belgium (more on that further down).

Check out Canada’s Coolest Grocery Store here!

Birthday Plans

To celebrate Charlie’s big day, pop into any Freson Bros. location on November 17 and receive a free house-made cinnamon spread with the purchase of a sourdough loaf (one per family). Plus, all fully enrolled Smart Shopper customers will receive 5,000 Smart Shopper Bonus Points. You’ll also find savings on the products that go great with sourdough, such as avocados, peanut butter, deli meats etc. More details here.

Be sure to enter to win a Birthday Celebration Bread Gift Box full of bakery treats, including award-winning Alberta Sourdough, Cinnamon Buns, Cheese Buns, Granny’s Banana Bread, and more. For the chance to win go here.

Who is Charlie?

One of the reasons you’ll love Freson Bros. is their commitment to scratch baking. There’s such comfort in knowing you’re feeding your family handmade products with the freshest ingredients.

Charlie is our Mother Dough – our Freson Bros. sourdough starter – a live fermented culture made simply and naturally from flour, water and wild yeasts.

At Freson Bros., We Believe in the Craft of the Baker, and have committed to scratch baking as much as possible. Each Freson Bros. has their own Charlie that our Bakers look after to create our award-winning bread.

Charlie’s History

When Freson Bros. first started on the journey to create all their wonderful baked products using a natural starter, it took them a few tries to get it perfectly right. Charlie is so good he’s even in the World Sourdough Library in Belgium! He sits as #131 in the library in the same building as all of the other famous sourdough starters from around the globe.

Sourdough Starters: Importance + Care

Pretty remarkable for a grocery store to consistently produce deliciousness from a sourdough starter created in-house seven years ago. Sourdough starters are important for bakery products because they’re formed naturally, with naturally occurring yeasts and only fresh, and real ingredients.

Like all living things, Charlie requires daily attention. Each of Freson Bros. 16 locations have a piece of Chalie that the bakers look after and tend to every day. He must be fed the right amount of 100% Alberta flour each day so the exact amount of Charlie can be placed into every sourdough product made fresh.

Meet Charlie’s Family

Charlie is not only used for Freson Bros. famous sourdough bread, but you’ll find products all around the store made with Charlie – everything from scratch-made cinnamon buns, to banana bread and pizza crust, dinner buns, and more. Check out the full list below.