Californian bakery company La Brea is raising the stakes in bread with a range of branded artisan-style loaves from across the Atlantic that will sit alongside in-store bakery bread.
The bread, which is packaged in open bags, is the first branded freshly baked bread to be listed in the major multiples. It is 80% baked in the US before being frozen and shipped to the UK where it is finished off on site.
The company, which was founded in Los Angeles in 1989 by US celebrity chef Nancy Silverton, is rolling out its products into 300 stores within the next 18
months, including 110 Tesco stores next month.
La Brea, which bakes more than 100 SKUs in the US, is producing 11 products for the UK market, including country white sourdough, sesame seed loaf, roasted garlic loaf, seeded rye loaf and an olive oval (rsp: £2.49-£2.99), all of which are made using a mixture of flour, water and organic grapes containing natural yeasts that allows the dough to rise slowly over time for a firm crust and a soft centre.
Silverton, who describes La Brea as an artisan company with the capabilities of a large bakery, said the breads stayed true to traditional baking methods despite having to be shipped in large quantities from the United States.
She said the products were launched in the UK because of a lack of branded artisan bread. “There’s a different flavour about our breads that is hard to beat. I am a
A £4m TV campaign for Aunt Bessie’s Yorkshire puddings shows a family tucking in, and promises they taste just as good as homemade.
Breaking on Tuesday (October 25), the commercial is the biggest investment behind the brand by Tryton Foods.
It will run through to December with a second burst scheduled from January to March 2006.
Stefan Chomka

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