Waitrose has launches a new Farmhouse loaf made using nature-friendly wheat grown on the supermarket’s Leckford Estate.
The new loaf, which includes flour grown using regenerative farming practices, is baked in store each morning and is currently available in 249 stores and online at £2.50.
It comes as Waitrose unveiled plans to support more than 2,000 of its British farmers to move to nature-friendly farming practices in a bid to boost financial resilience of farms in the long-term and combat the effects of climate change.
This will see the upmarket retailer sourcing UK meat, milk, eggs, fruit and vegetables from farms that use regenerative practices by 2035.
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The grocer said the new loaf launch comes as #toast has gained 4m views on TikTok in the UK in the past seven days alone, while searches on Waitrose.com for its chicken Swiss cheese toastie and burrata mortadella pesto focaccia recipes are up 229% and 98%, respectively in comparison to last year.
Waitrose technical innovation manager James Kingham said: “Lovingly crafted using flour from our own farm in Hampshire, the wheat has been farmed using regenerative methods. This loaf is good for the planet as well as for breakfast.
“Our Farmhouse loaf is perfect for that weekend brunch, loaded with flavourful avocado or simply served alongside a delicious soup.”
The Leckford Estate in Hampshire has been farming regeneratively since 2020 and commits to protecting soil, conserving water and enhancing nature, all of which play a part in the new product.
Leckford Estate head Andrew Hoad added: “We are really proud of the launch of the Leckford Farmhouse loaf. Not only does the bread taste absolutely delicious, but it also represents the ambitious nature-friendly farming methods that Leckford has been practising for the last four years.
“We are mindful of the way in which we grow our crops on the estate, and we have been farming to regenerative principles – protecting the soil, saving water and enhancing biodiversity. Waitrose is the only supermarket to own a farm, and we want to showcase that food that is good for the environment can also be incredibly good for our customers too.”
