Aunt Bessie’s owner William Jackson Food Group is finally rolling out its UK-produced bread - to the UK.

Jackson’s Bakery bread, which has been available overseas since 1995, was launched this week into 70 Waitrose stores under a new brand, Yorkshire’s Champion Bread. The product, which is made in Yorkshire from wheat grown and milled in the county, will be available in two lines - a sliced white and brown bloomer (rsp: £1.45).

Both come in packaging featuring the white rose of Yorkshire. The white loaf had “a distinctive sourdough taste” and the brown was made using oats and barley and in each case, said the company.

The UK rollout had been prompted by British consumers who had returned from holiday or working away and asked where they could get Jackson’s bread in the UK, it added. Jackson’s started selling bread to Gibraltar in 1995, and overseas distribution has since extended to 22 countries including Lebanon and Hong Kong.

“We receive lots of compliments about our bread, particularly from expats who buy it in supermarkets abroad and felt we could offer something to UK retail,” said Jackson’s Bakery MD James Watson. “Provenance and food honesty are very important to consumers and we feel our Champion Bread ticks all the boxes.”

The bakery’s strong reputation had persuaded to it to launch under the Jackson’s name rather than Aunt Bessie’s, he said.

The bread is made at Jackson’s Bakery in Hull, which produces more than a million loaves a week for foodservice, sandwich makers and overseas retailers.

Over the past eight years the group has invested around £20m in the bakery to equip it with what Jackson’s described as state-of-the-art facilities.

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