What the ‘real bread’ movement means for fine food retail

Take a stroll through the bread aisle of any large supermarket today and you’ll be met with an almost overwhelming variety of options. Yet a growing movement would argue that very few of these should be defined as ‘real bread’. 

That is, bread made without chemical raising agents, so-called processing aids or any other additives, according to the Real Bread Campaign. And while making real bread is “child’s play,” according to Chris Young, Real Bread Campaign coordinator, “consistently crafting well and at scale takes considerable levels of time, knowledge and artisanal skills”.

With more consumers becoming frustrated with ultra-processed foods and searching for alternatives, ‘real bread’ is a solution that fine food retailers can tap into.

What’s the problem with bread today?

Most pre-wrapped and sliced bread made on an industrial scale in Britain today is made with the Chorleywood Process, which arrived in 1961, perfectly timed alongside the explosion of the supermarket model. 

“It replaces people and long, slow fermentation with large dollops of yeast, high speed mixing and an arsenal of additives, all untouched by human hand,” Chris says. “The resultant industrial dough products are profitable, yet cheap at the till – though we encourage people to consider what the displaced and hidden costs might be.”

Time and artisanal knowledge and skill “eat up profit margins more voraciously than a bread lover tucking into buttered toast,” Chris continues. “That’s unpalatable for supermarkets, which are in the business of making money for directors and shareholders.”

From additives to glyphosate

Increasingly, questions are growing around UPFs. Additives used in breads have been tested and declared safe, Chris acknowledges, but, he asks, “might there be a cocktail effect? What of the other far-from-natural ingredients we see listed? History is littered with things that industrial food corporations once promised us were safe, which were later withdrawn or banned on health grounds”.

Awareness of UPFs and other health concerns are fuelling more interest in organic foods, too. Lee Holdstock, head of regulatory and trade affairs at the Soil Association, says shoppers are not only looking to unnecessary ingredients and additives, but increasingly choosing whole and minimally processed foods.

“When it comes to bread, we know that the use of herbicides (weed killers), such as glyphosate, are one of the main concerns for shoppers,” he adds. “Glyphosate has been identified as a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organisation, yet in the 26 years between 1990 and 2016, it’s use on British cereals has increased by well over 10 times.”

This week, Soil Association Certification has been supporting the annual ‘Wake up to Organic’ campaign to promote the benefits of starting the day with organic food to avoid artificial pesticides and herbicides. “Non-organic breakfast items including oats, wheat and bread commonly contain glyphosate residues as the crops are often sprayed with glyphosate before harvesting to dry them out to make it easier to harvest,” the group notes in a press release. 

Shoppers should be able to easily make informed choices about the foods they buy - including bread - and the impact that they have on our health and the environment, Lee says. “Choosing organic means you are avoiding artificial pesticides and fossil fuel-derived fertilisers, and studies have shown organic food is nutritionally different,” Lee continues. “By avoiding harmful artificial pesticides on farms, you are also supporting the environment, with organic farms home to up to 30% more wildlife than non-organic farms.”

And when it comes to additives, the Real Bread Campaign argues more research is needed. “In the meantime, we’ll stick with flour, water, yeast, salt and other minimally processed ingredients, which have been proven over thousands of years as safe (and delicious) for most of us.”

What can fine food retailers do about real bread?

The Real Bread Campaign has been championing ‘real bread’ since 2008, when artisan organic baker Andrew Whitley and the food and farming charity Sustain joined forces. “In 1976, Andrew Whitley quit his job with the BBC, moved to Cumbria and became the owner of The Village Bakery, Melmerby,” Chris says. “After more than 25 years, Andrew sold the business and got back to making bread, passing on skills and advocating for a better, fairer food systems. 

“This also gave him time to put down some of his knowledge and beliefs in a book called Bread Matters. People took this not only as a recipe book but a manifesto, asking ‘how can we join the cause?’,” Chris continues.

From the simple starting point of ‘real bread’, the group’s mission is to find and share ways of making bread “better for us, better for our communities and better for the planet,” says Chris, to make real bread more accessible for everyone.

For retailers whose aims align with promoting good food and championing artisan makers, this opens an opportunity to do what they do best: share the stories of skilled makers and what makes their products special. 

If you’re not already making and selling bread in-house, Chris says independent food retailers should “big up your little baker”.

“We see far too many indie retailers and eateries not naming the bakery, listing ‘local sourdough bread’, ‘artisan brioche bun’, or whatever, generically. It’s in your interests to name the bakery so shoppers know what you’re offering is the real deal, actually made by artisan bakers, not some additive-laden, loaf tanning salon product from a factory via a national wholesaler,” Chris says.

Then, retailers can “share the story of the bakery and their real bread that you’re selling,” Chris says. “What makes them and their real bread special, or even unique? Are they Xth generation family bakers, upstart disruptors, lockdown life-change microbakers? Is their real bread genuine sourdough, made from locally grown grains, heritage wheat varieties, certified organic?”

If their products meet the Real Bread Campaign’s definition, they can add their details to the Real Bread Map with your shop included as an outlet. The campaign’s Knead to Know business handbook has even more tips.

‘Real bread’ naturally fits in to the aims of speciality food retailers. In fact, you’re likely already selling it in your shop. By promoting its simplicity and benefits, you could unlock new potential in the bakery aisle.