The Real Bread Campaign has announced it will be organising the first ever National Real Bread Maker Week from 1-9 May, to encourage people to re-engage with home baking and to dust off one of the nation’s most neglected kitchen appliances.

Chris Young, organiser of the campaign, which is backed by the Big Lottery Fund’s Local Food programme, said: “Dusting off and plugging in your bread machine allows you to seize control of your daily bread, freeing you from reliance on factory loaves.”

The National Real Bread Maker Week website will be launched in March for people to view and share bread machine recipes, tips and photos with the chance to win a VIP pass to The Real Food Festival on 8 May. Also, a big bake-off will be judged by an expert panel of master bakers and celebrity chefs.

The campaign is set to take place a week prior to the Real Food Festival in Earl’s Court, London, on 10 May. “Baking Real Bread in a machine with flour from an independent mill is a great way of supporting Britain’s real food producers and knowing what your family is eating while keeping an eye on your budget,” said festival organiser Philip Lowery.

Meanwhile, as part of National Mills Weekend 8-9 May, traditional wind and water mills around the country will be inviting visitors to picnics, classes, competitions and other activities to help get the best out of locally milled flour bread machine loaves.