Earth & Wheat Artisan Bread Box

Source: Earth & Wheat

The box contains sourdough, white rolls, muffins, croissants and other pastries

Wonky food subscription service Earth & Wheat has added a new “artisan” bakery box.

Billed as the business’ “most premium product to date”, each box contains one sourdough loaf, white rolls, muffins – in blueberry, chocolate, or apple crumble flavours – as well as croissants and pain au chocolat or pain au raisin (rsp: £18.99).

The Artisan boxes will be available to order with next-day delivery, starting from 12 January.

Earth & Wheat initially launched as a wonky bread subscription service by fourth-generation baker James Eid in March 2021, and has since expanded its oeuvre to deliver imperfect biscuits last November, and added wonky vegetable boxes to its subscription services in May 2022.

Until now, Earth & Wheat’s boxes relied on rescued surplus products that would otherwise go to waste. However, the Artisan boxes comprise “ultra-fresh” handmade products made to order from selected bakeries.

The bakeries use locally sourced flour, and allow for all products – good and wonky – to be used, so nothing gets wasted.

According to Eid, the launch heralded the start of an “exciting year” for the business, which so far claims to have saved more than 500 tonnes of food from going to waste and sent 250,000 meals to food charities.

“Our loaves are made as a true sourdough, using a 25-year-old sourdough starter. The dough is shaped by hand and proofed for 32 hours before baking in a stone-based multi-deck oven.

“The rolls, muffins, croissants and pastries are batch-baked, and a wider specification is accepted so there is no excess waste.”

It comes after Earth & Wheat recently added a limited-edition Christmas Wonky Veg Box to its webstore, with every sale seeing it donate four meals to food charities.

In October, it added a £5.99 value box to its lineup, intended to appeal to shoppers struggling with the cost of living crisis.