News and Trends

Source: bakeryinfo.co.uk, 28th July 2026 Source: British Baker Bread aisle at a Tesco Extra supermarket store showing the new ‘Expertly selected for quality and taste since 1919’ claim Tesco has switched out its bakery aisles signage that claims products have been ‘expertly baked in store since 1968’. The retailer confirmed to British Baker that this was part of its regular review of in-store signage. In its place, Tesco has put the updated pledge ‘expertly selected for quality & taste since 1919’, which it noted better reflected the range of bakery items it sold across all store formats. The move comes two years after the Real Bread Campaign submitted a complaint to Hertfordshire County Council, which is Tesco’s primary authority for trading standards. The complaint alleged that instead of baking in store, Tesco was stocking prefabricated products brought in from distant factories (some overseas) and simply defrosting or baking them off in what it labelled “loaf-tanning salons” t...

 

S ource: Speciality Breads Artist impression of the new 180,000 sq ft bakery in Manston Margate-based wholesale business Speciality Breads is investing £20m in a new 180,000 sq ft production facility as it aims to become the most sustainable bakery in the UK. Located in the village of Manston just a few miles down the road from its current site, the factory will feature a hybrid stone bake oven (gas/electric) – said to be the first-of-its-kind in the UK – as well as a state-of-the-art production line, both supplied by Dutch equipment manufacturer Royal Kaak. It is also a redevelopment of an existing building, which the company noted fits perfectly with its sustainability goals as it is much less carbon intensive than constructing something new on a greenfield site. It will have solar panels installed on the roof to support the bakery’s energy requirements. The £20m cost of the fit-out is being part self-funded and part-funded by a bank loan, confirmed Speciality Breads, with production...

Speciality bread is a growing market, with UK consumers developing a taste for the long-fermented likes of sourdough, focaccia, ciabatta, brioche, baguettes, and rye bread. Not only is more speciality bread being bought – volumes are up 9.4% from 78.6m loaves in 2021 to 86m in 2024 [Circana MAT data] – the frequency of consumption has also grown. “Our insights show that speciality bread will ride the wave of popularity as we move into 2025,” comments Andy Pearson, category & insights manager at bakery supplier Lantmännen Unibake. “Once a weekend or special treat, it is now a normalised purchase with many consumers buying it as part of their weekly shop.” So what trends are driving the growth of speciality breads? Which brands are tapping into them? And how are own-label lines performing? Source: Délifrance Healthier choices Consumers are increasingly aware of the difference diet makes to their health, and this extends to staples such as bread. Bakels group marketing manager Michael...

Source: Bridge Baker Seeded Sourdough Ancient grains and ale, figs and walnuts, and charcoal powder are among the inclusions of loaves specially created for Sourdough September. This year welcomes the 11 th  edition of the annual event organised by the Real Bread Campaign, which aims at promoting the baking and buying of genuine sourdough bread, ie. produced without the use of baker’s yeast, chemical raising agents, so-called processing aids, or other additives. Following on from last year’s Sourdough September NPD round-up, here’s the batch of offerings available in 2024: Source: Eviedale Bakehouse Beer Bere Sourdough Beer Bere Sourdough, Eviedale Bakehouse The UK’s most northerly commercial sourdough bakery has unveiled a bespoke bread featuring bere barley, one of Britain’s oldest ancient grains in continuous cultivation which is still grown and threshed on the Orkney mainland. Although lacking in gluten, bere (pronounced “bear”) is said to be full of nutrients and fibre. “...

Source: Geary’s Bakeries Ham Hock & Mature Cornish Cheddar Toastie by Jason’s Sourdough Jason’s Sourdough is venturing into the food-to-go category with a new range of premium toasties and hot rolls. The range, made with Jason’s ciabattin and sourdough rolls, features vegetarian and meat options with on-trend fillings such as kimchi and nduja as well as classics like ham and cheese & onion. It is manufactured under a strategic partnership with food-to-go specialist Around Noon, which will distribute it across foodservice, travel, and retail sectors. Jason’s Sourdough described the range as a ‘natural progression’ for the brand, combining its sourdough with innovative fillings and formats while offering customers a premium experience. Source: Geary’s Bakeries The new toastie and hot rolls range comprises: Ham Hock & Mature Cornish Cheddar Toastie – slow-cooked ham hock with Davidstow mature cheddar and grape mustard on Jason’s White sourdough Ciabattin Nduja & Mature Cor...

  by Leila Lamnaouer "For years, my family and I have wanted to invest in the UK to be closer to our customers and offer them more support and services, in line with our CSR approach (which allows a company to set up projects and initiatives that are part of social and environmental concerns, editor's note) and international development. Investing in The Jones Village Bakery is a unique opportunity to get closer to the best bakery in the UK," commented Laurent Menissez. The boss of the Menissez Group, located in Feignies in northern France, announced in July that he had bought the shares of Limerston Capital, which had invested in 2021 in the bakery group The Jones Village Bakery, founded in 1934 and based in Wrexham in Wales. After Canada and the Netherlands, a stronger presence in the United Kingdom The Jones Village Bakery Group operates on six state-of-the-art production sites (including a new 'super bakery' of over 1,300 square metres) in Wrexham and Minera, ...

Sourdough remains one of the undisputed champions of the British baking industry. Often the star attraction of an artisan baker’s range, it has also become a key driver of growth for supermarkets both in the packaged bread aisles and in-store bakeries (ISB). “Speciality loaves, which include sourdough, are leading the way for value and unit growth compared to others such as traditional loaves, rolls, and French breads,” comments Hannah Sibley, product and innovation director at bakery supplier Aryzta UK & Ireland. Source: Getty Images / Mariia Vitkovska UK spending on sourdough hit £58.5m, according to Kantar data for the 52 weeks to 17 March 2024 . This marked double-digit (10.7%) growth year on year which, like other categories, is partially attributed to price rises as a result of inflation. However, with 26m packs sold over the period, sourdough volumes were up by 4.3% compared to the previous year. With total bread volumes seeing a slight decline of 0.7%, the sourdough market ...