Bertinet Bakery, producers of natural, artisan sourdough breads, announces the launch of its new large format 1.1kg sliced Seeded Sourdough and a new partnership with Milk & More as it continues to enjoy strong YoY growth despite challenging market conditions and a declining sliced bread category (+37% YoY last year). The 1.1kg seeded sourdough will initially be exclusively listed in Waitrose and independent customers.
Milk & More is the UK’s biggest network of milkmen, delivering fresh artisan breads and other fresh produce direct to over 500,000 homes across the country, daily. Following the launch, the retailer now lists three delicious sliced sourdough breads from the Bertinet Bakery range.
Seeded Sourdough is made using only the highest quality Shipton Mill Flour, toasted sunflower seeds, golden linseeds, water and sea salt. It responds to consumer demand for a larger, family size loaf that offers higher nutrient benefits, including fibre, healthy fats and protein. Bertinet Bakery shuns anything artificial and uses only time-honoured techniques to create an all-natural, artisan loaf. The new loaf complements the existing range of five sliced sourdough breads, available in various 500g and 1kg formats.
Strong sales and marketing investment sets sights for market-defying 43% YoY growth
Bertinet Bakery expects sales of the new SKU will help drive further growth in sliced sourdough, both for the business and for the category as a whole. To support this the company has committed to increasing marketing, PR and promotions with a six-figure investment over the next 12 months.
In addition to this, the business recently invested in a new 20,000 square foot bakery in London which they are continuing to invest in. This year, they increased capacity in Bath by 75%, expanding into the next-door unit, adding new equipment and state-of-the-art ovens.
David Dwek, Managing Director, Bertinet Bakery, comments:
“We are on a mission to change the way bread is perceived and consumed in the UK. We believe that everyone should be able to enjoy delicious, nutritious and natural long fermentation bread with the best ingredients and no additives whatsoever. We see customers are more frequently choosing sourdough bread for their everyday loaf, which is fantastic news for the hundreds of passionate artisan bakers, like us, across the country. We’re delighted to partner with Milk & More to make it even easier for customers to enjoy our bread by delivering it straight to over half a million doors every day.”
Lockdown turned sourdough into an overnight sensation
During the COVID-19 lockdown, sourdough became an overnight hit amongst consumers with thousands taking to social media to showcase their home-baked creations as they embraced the great taste and health benefits of sourdough. Due to its long fermentation process, sourdough is considered a healthier bread option, containing healthy bacteria also found in other fermented foods such as yoghurt, kefir, pickles, sauerkraut and kimchi. The unique fermentation process improves the nutritional profile and is often easier to digest than everyday bread due to its high natural pre and pro biotic properties. Sourdough is thought to aid gut health and contains more antioxidants, fibre and nutrients than other breads.
Giving back
Whilst the company has seen rapid growth, Bertinet Bakery remains a local business at heart, and at the height of the pandemic, the bakery donated over 5,000 loaves and pastries to Bath’s main hospital.