Sainsbury’s has claimed it has become the first supermarket to source all flour for its in-store bakeries from UK farms.

The conversion began last year in partnership with East Anglian farming co-operative Camgrain, with whom Sainsbury’s has just extended its contract for another two years, until 2011.

This week Camgrain opened the UK’s most advanced grain storage and drying facility, near Cambridge. It was originally scheduled to open in 2012 but the date was pushed forward due to accelerated demand.

Speaking at the opening of the new site, Sainsbury’s chief executive Justin King said: “Providing customers with freshly baked bread throughout the day, using quality ingredients, is at the core of our in-store bakeries.

“The provenance of those ingredients is a key issue for us and our customers and in completing our conversion to 100% British flour, we’re able to establish an efficient and traceable UK food chain [that] underpins our commitment to British farmers.”

Topics