Bertinet’s new offering – which responds to consumer demand for a larger, family-sized loaf – will initially be listed in Waitrose and independent outlets. However, the bakery has also forged a partnership with Milk & More to deliver three of its sliced sourdough breads to homes across the UK.
According to Bertinet, only time-honoured techniques are employed to create their all-natural, artisan loaves. The Seeded Sourdough has the additional benefits of being high in fibre, healthy fats and protein as it contains toasted sunflower seeds and golden linseeds.
The new loaf complements the bakery’s existing range of five sliced sourdough breads, available in 500g and 1kg formats.
Strong sales and marketing
Bertinet 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. The bakery grew 33% in 2019 and said the business is on course for 43% YoY growth this year.
The sliced bread category continues to decline, but was buoyed by sliced sourdough at +37% YoY last year.
To support further growth, Bertinet has committed to a six-figure investment in marketing, PR and promotions over the next 12 months. It also recently invested in a 20,000 square foot bakery in London and increased capacity at its Bath facility by 75%, expanding floor space and installing new equipment and ovens.
“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,” said David Dwek, MD of Bertinet Bakery.
“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.”
While the bakery has experienced rapid growth, it remains a local business at heart, and at the height of the pandemic, donated over 5,000 loaves and pastries to Bath’s main hospital.
The 1.1kg sliced Seeded Sourdough has an RRP of £3.95, while the 550g format has an RRP of £2.25.