Lidl Redditch Bakery

Lidl has renamed a loaf after it was called out by a customer as ‘sourfaux’.

The product has been renamed from Sourdough Rye Crusty Bloomer to Crusty Wheat & Rye Bloomer after a customer complained in June on learning it was made with 56% wheat flour.

The complaint was initially rejected by Lidl, but then taken up by the Real Bread Campaign, which wants new regulation to ensure bread cannot be marketed as sourdough if it is made with any additive or alternative raising agent.

Lidl also rejected the campaign group’s complaint, noting in correspondence that it adhered to “all British and European regulations, including those regarding labelling”.

The group then took its complaint to Trading Standards, and was told in September that officers had asked Lidl to look into the matter and comment on the claims.

According to the Real Bread Campaign, on 1 December 2023 Trading Standards advised: “Lidl have taken the comments on board and are changing the name of their ‘Sourdough Crusty Rye Bloomer’ to ‘Crusty Wheat & Rye Bloomer’.”

Real Bread Campaign co-ordinator Chris Young, who coined the phrase ‘sourfaux’, said: “We’re thankful that Lidl has come up with a more appropriate name for the product.

“Whichever party forms the next government, we urge them to introduce our proposed Honest Crust Act of improved composition, labelling and marketing standards.”

Read more: Is the first ‘sourdough code’ a good solution to ‘sourfaux’?

A Lidl spokeswoman said: “In a recent survey conducted by YouGov, shoppers named Lidl as their number one in-store supermarket bakery. Their love for Lidl’s baked goods was reinforced further last month at the Baking Industry Awards, after being crowned Bakery Retailer of the Year.

“We continuously review and update our bakery range to ensure that we have the best offering for our customers at the lowest possible prices.”

In February, the Association of Bakery Ingredient Manufacturers set out guidelines for what should and shouldn’t be called sourdough in a code of practice, which permits bread made with up to 0.2% compressed bakers’ yeast. The sourdough code of practice also allows products made without live sourdough as the principal leavening agent to be labelled as ‘with sourdough’ or ‘sourdough flavour’. 

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