21st Century

21st Century

2000

The industry continued to battle with persistent below cost selling of bread by the supermarkets with regular promotions seeing loaves being sold at 19p.

2001

The long awaited Competition Commission Report into the Supermarkets was published and one of the recommendations was the setting up of a new Supermarket Code of Practice to redress the balance between the large supermarkets and their suppliers.

2006

The industry established an independent company, Bakers Basco Limited, to implement and manage a new industry standard 'Omega' bread basket to provide an industry wide solution for delivering bread and to address the loss and misuse of bread baskets which costs the industry millions of pounds each year.

2007

Due to poor wheat harvests and rising energy costs the price of a standard loaf reached £1 for the first time.

2008

The 750 year old Bread Weights Legislation which stretched back to the Assize of Bread and Ale of 1266 and governed the weight of bread for sale in the UK was finally abolished by and EU Directive. The first 600g loaf of bread went on sale and now bread is sold in all sizes and weights.

2010

Since the introduction of FSA salt targets for foods, plant bakers have continued to implement salt reductions in their products enabling salt in bread to be reduced by 37% by comparison to the levels in 2000. The average salt content of a sliced and wrapped loaf is now 1.1g per 100g.

2011

The Chorleywood Bread Process celebrates its 50th Anniversary! The Chorleywood Bread Process revolutionised bread production in the UK by facilitating larger scale production and producing a loaf with a longer shelf life whilst continuing to bring a healthy nutritious loaf of bread to the British public.