Warburtons has secured enough quality British wheat in order to produce a new all-British loaf for the first time in its 133-year history.
The Bolton-based baker said the new bread provisionally being referred to as Seed to Crumb would be baked using 100% British wheat supplied by its network of 320 farmers across the UK. The brown and white loaves will be available to retailers from February. The current range of loaves is manufactured using a blend of Canadian and British wheat, using a network totalling 900 farmers.
Warburtons said it had secured enough Hereward and Solstice wheat for mass production of Seed to Crumb as a result of its 10-year partnership with Open Field, the UK's biggest grain marketing and arable farming co-operative.
Warburtons has traditionally insisted on using Canadian wheat across its bakery range, claiming it gives the bread the superior quality and mouthfeel on which Warburtons' reputation as the UK's no 1 selling bread has been built.
"Our Seed to Crumb loaf will deliver the same great quality as our other loaves, but is made from a 100% blend of British wheat," said Warburtons chairman Jonathan Warburton. "We've wanted to bake a British loaf for a long time and by working closely with our farmers we have been able to achieve this. It is a great opportunity to celebrate British farming at its best."
Ian Waller, an Open Field wheat farmer based in Buckinghamshire who has been growing wheat for Warburtons for the past 10 years, said it was a proud moment for British wheat farmers. "It is fantastic news that we have been able to achieve our goal."
The Bolton-based baker said the new bread provisionally being referred to as Seed to Crumb would be baked using 100% British wheat supplied by its network of 320 farmers across the UK. The brown and white loaves will be available to retailers from February. The current range of loaves is manufactured using a blend of Canadian and British wheat, using a network totalling 900 farmers.
Warburtons said it had secured enough Hereward and Solstice wheat for mass production of Seed to Crumb as a result of its 10-year partnership with Open Field, the UK's biggest grain marketing and arable farming co-operative.
Warburtons has traditionally insisted on using Canadian wheat across its bakery range, claiming it gives the bread the superior quality and mouthfeel on which Warburtons' reputation as the UK's no 1 selling bread has been built.
"Our Seed to Crumb loaf will deliver the same great quality as our other loaves, but is made from a 100% blend of British wheat," said Warburtons chairman Jonathan Warburton. "We've wanted to bake a British loaf for a long time and by working closely with our farmers we have been able to achieve this. It is a great opportunity to celebrate British farming at its best."
Ian Waller, an Open Field wheat farmer based in Buckinghamshire who has been growing wheat for Warburtons for the past 10 years, said it was a proud moment for British wheat farmers. "It is fantastic news that we have been able to achieve our goal."
No comments yet