Mayo bakery loved by Goldie Hawn goes global

Europe’s groundbreaking gut-health bakery, The Happy Tummy Company in Westport, has expanded to launch its signature Happy Tummy Loaf - or ‘magic poo bread’ internationally. The fibre-rich bread, which is being marketed at those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and gut health conditions, is now being sold directly from Mayo to customers across Europe, the UAE and the US.

The Happy Tummy Loaf was developed in 2014 in London by Irish baker Karen O’Donoghue in response to her own crippling IBS. Since then, the bread has gained critical acclaim for its powerful effects on gut health, digestion, and overall wellbeing.

The Happy Tummy Loaf has garnered an international following which includes actress Goldie Hawn, who brought ten loaves back to the US and credited the bread with curing her and her son’s IBS symptoms. Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop brand has also branded the bread ‘legendary’.

O’Donoghue, who was named the UK’s Gut Specialist of the Year in 2018, and went on to be a judge at the World Bread Awards, is responsible for single-handedly pioneering the scientifically-developed bread aimed at alleviating IBS. The naturally fermented bread is made primarily from teff, a nutrient-dense Ethiopian grain which is rich in anti-inflammatory compounds and natural prebiotics. It contains no additives or artificial ingredients, relying instead on a slow fermentation process. Her UK customers coined the term “magic poo bread” for how much it helped them.

“It’s estimated that about 20% of the Irish population suffer from IBS, a condition which is often misdiagnosed or dismissed,” said Karen O’Donoghue from her bakery in Westport. “The Happy Tummy company was born out of my own success with using food as medicine and a desire to give people preventative health options. I grew up with inflammation caused by IBS and saw first hand how it negatively infiltrated my mental and physical wellbeing. I resolved that one day I would eradicate my own IBS symptoms through the food I love the most, which is bread.”

When developing medicinal loaf - O’Donoghue uncovered how our gut bacteria likes to eat. She discovered that our gut bacteria works to a specific mathematical equation: we should be eating 66% dietary fibre to 33% dietary protein and five grams of prebiotic fibre every day.

“Fibre is critical to gut health and teff grain is life-changing in how it can relieve inflammation, constipation, bloating, cramping and other serious gastrointestinal issues,” she said. “The huge amount of prebiotic fibre contained in teff stimulates the growth of good gut bacteria and supports colon health. It also aids muscle development, immunity and circulation.”

The Happy Tummy Loaf takes two days to make and is packed with organic teff (so no herbicides or pesticides), sprouted buckwheat, walnuts, Brazil nuts, almonds, linseed, and chia seeds.

She added: “The Happy Tummy loaf is prepared in a way that aids digestion and maximises nutrient absorption. It is the best grain source of prebiotic fibre which is a crucial fibre for maintaining good gut health. And it’s also good for plant-based eaters, as a source of high protein and iron. This is bread as medicine.”

Find more information at thehappytummyco.com. Orders will arrive within three days of shipment, frozen after baking for convenience and freshness.