Reporter Aaron Sims got to grips with his inner baker during a visit to Hobbs House Bakery School for a masterclass with the Fabulous Baker Brothers, Tom and Henry Herbert.

“It’s a well know fake fact that the smell of freshly baked bread is known to add 10 per cent to the value of your house.” The words of Tom Herbert, baking master at the award-winning Hobbs House Bakery in Chipping Sodbury.

“So why not be the first to join our scheme, we show you how to bake and take a small cut when you sell your house!

"Only joking, but seriously, the smell of freshly baked bread is the best smell in the world. If you curious, it’s time to get involved.”

With an offer like that to surround myself with the kind of smells that drive taste buds into a frenzy, it is hard to pass up the chance to want to try making your own.

Hobbs House began as a family business in the 1920’s, and has harnessed the experience of five generations of bakers into a recognisable, successful and flourishing brand, with Tom and his brother Henry, known to many as the Fabulous Baker Brothers, seeing the business expand across the Cotswolds, with shops in Nailsworth, Tetbury, and most recently, Malmesbury.

A wealth of courses available, from beginner bread making, to butchery and barbeque, and even children’s courses on offer, there is something for everyone, from the most novice of practitioners to the true expert.

Tom and Henry take many of the classes in the school, having been around bread since their youth and toured the world in search of new and innovative ways to bake, cook and eat, with many of their adventures being turned into notable television projects.

“People come to baking to satisfy many different impulses and urges,” said Tom.

“For some it is the simple pleasure of combining simple and inexpensive ingredients to make something delicious, many people find it de-stressing and relaxing after a hard day to indulge the senses in something that smells and tastes amazing.

“A lot of people love sharing what they bake, and giving a cake, pie or loaf, made with their own hands is the best way to show love, or, I’m thinking of you, or, get well, or even, MARRY ME!”

Even if you aren’t quite pushing that boundary, attempting the pair’s latest concoction, the aptly named “American Supersize Feast” course, is well worth it. A day of baking and barbecuing inspired by their experiences of southern states cuisine while filming in Kentucky and Tennessee.

The class squeezes in a wide variety of dishes that entice the senses as you go from base materials to a literal feast; with smoked salmon in bagels, Kentucky Burgoo stew, big sausage and gravy in biscuits topping it off with freshly made doughnuts and peanut butter ice cream and an ice cold beer – Do you feel those taste buds going yet?

“Having been across the pond, to parts of America not on the obvious tourist trail, we just wanted to share with people what we had eaten and some of the stories from our time out there,” said retail director Henry, who was named in Forbes Magazine’s prestigious 30-under-30 list last year.

“While we mostly teach individually, occasionally it’s really fun to do a joint one and mix together our courses, creating what we hope is a day they both fun and informative with plenty of tips and tricks to take home.

“The American Supersize Feast is our way of summing in six-to-seven hours what we loved about America, mixing some recipes that can be recreated at home with (what we think is) some top brotherly banter.”

Without a shadow of a doubt, the course offers exactly that! An excellent day that mixes the informative, hands-on experience you would want from a baking class, some fresh and inventive takes on some popular Yankee dishes, and plenty of chatter, lots of raucous laughter and even more messing around that makes you wonder how it all fits in and runs to time in such an laid-back environment.

To find out more about the classes at Hobbs House Bakery, visit www.hobbshousebakery.co.uk