A lemon & Earl Grey brioche loaf has taken home the title of Britain’s Best Loaf 2025, ahead of a record field of almost 200 entries.
It was crafted by Kuma-San Bakehouse in Matlock, which won the competition just two years ago with its Brioche Japonais. In fact, the award hasn’t left Derbyshire in the past three years after the Garlic & Rosemary Deep Pan Focaccia from 4 Eyes Bakery in Chesterfield triumphed in 2024.
Kuma-San’s loaf was once again winner of the Innovation category. Similar to its prior bake’s matcha and Cointreau-soaked cranberry inclusions, the latest effort features Earl Grey tea with limoncello-soaked candied lemon peel – it also contains lemon curd and lemon juice.
Judges described the winning product as “really balanced” with lemon flavours that weren’t overpowering. “We couldn’t stop eating it,” commented one judge, while another called it “a taste sensation”.
Kuma-San’s Japanese-born founder Miyo Aoetsu once again provided an energetic and joyful collection of the award on stage. “I feel wonderful. I’m very, very happy,” she told British Baker.
Aoetsu revealed she’d gone through around 50 iterations of the recipe building up to the event to get it just perfect. She’d even baked overnight until five in the morning on the judging day. “I want to sleep,” she admitted when quizzed about plans for celebrating the result.
Marking the 12th edition of the annual competition, Britain’s Best Loaf 2025 was held on Tuesday 8 April at the NEC Birmingham as part of the UK Food & Drink Shows. It was sponsored by ADM Milling, Brook Food & Bakery Equipment, L&M Parnaby, Matthews Cotswold Flour, and Rademaker. Loaves were entered across eight different categories: Flavoured Sourdough, Gluten Free, Innovation, International, Plain Sourdough, Seeded Sourdough, White, and Wholegrain.
This year, judging panel comprised: Amy North, editor at British Baker; Bertie Matthews, managing director, Matthews Cotswold Flour; Clare Barton, owner and head baker, Bakehouse 124; Dan Riley, deputy editor, British Baker; Dennis Everaers, senior bakery & process technologist, Rademaker; Gareth Edwards, head of sales – craft and speciality bakery division, ADM Milling; John Foster MBE, managing director, Fosters Bakery; John Lamper, bakery specialist – ISB, Tesco; Louise West, training advisor, National Food & Drink Training; Neil Woods, consultant; Nick Pearce, sales representative, Brook Food & Bakery Equipment; Tom Martin, head baker, The Bread Factory (who got the job off the back off winning Britain’s Best Loaf last year); and William Leet, bakery development technician, David Wood Baking.
British Baker editor Amy North commented: “It was another record-breaking year for Britain’s Best Loaf as we received more entries than ever,” said British Baker editor Amy North. “It certainly wasn’t a case of quantity over quality though as the standard on display was outstanding.
“I would like to thank the sponsors, judges, and entrants for not only making Britain’s Best Loaf 2025 possible, but also making it a triumphant competition. The spectacular breads we saw were a real testament to the skill, commitment, and imagination of bakers across the UK.”
The category winners are as follows:
Flavoured Sourdough
Winner: Dark Chocolate Malt and Orange, Lovingly Artisan
This loaf secured the Highly Commended award in the 2024 competition, rising to become the category champion this year. Fragranced with Mediterranean orange peel, studded with Belgian chocolate and enriched with the natural sweetness of brewers’ chocolate malt, this little tin loaf “was made for long and luxurious weekends”, says Lovingly Artisan. As well as the “divine” flavour, the judges were won over by the technical ability demonstrated in the loaf, highlighting the baker’s skill in producing a “perfect bake”.
Gluten Free
Winner: Seeded Rustic Bread, Sage Bakery
Sage Bakery “perfected everything”, according to the category judges who praised the gluten-free loaf for its “lovely appearance, aroma, and taste”. “You could happily serve that to people who aren’t gluten free”, added another. The loaf is made with gluten-free buckwheat flour, gluten-free tapioca flour, gluten-free millet flour, and three types of organic seeds (pumpkin, sunflower and golden flaxseeds). The crust is dusted with sorghum flour for a rustic appearance.
Innovation
Winner: Lemon and Earl Grey Loaf, Kuma-San Bakehouse
The loaf is made with a light Japanese brioche dough (less butter and eggs than a normal French-style brioche), flavoured with a combination of lemon and Earl Grey tea that Kuma-San has used in its sweet buns for the last three years. It’s laminated with a thickened lemon curd, with white chocolate and Italian lemon peel added after shaping, and finished with pearl sugar for some crunchy texture. One judge described it as a bread that “took you on a journey” to the Italian Riviera.
International
Winner: Focaccia, Revel Bakery
Don’t let the name fool you, this is no ordinary focaccia. It’s topped with slices of potatoes, Grana Padano cheese, and flavoured with rosemary. The combination of the potato and cheese was “delicious”, according to the judges who said this stood out in the category (which had entries including fougasse, baguettes, and more) due to its good looks, great crumb structure, and the fact that it didn’t have too much oil in.
Plain Sourdough
Winner: Organic White Sourdough, Daylesford Organic
Plain Sourdough was a tough category with narrowly the most entries of any in Britain’s Best Loaf 2025. The Organic White Sourdough from Daylesford Organic was described as “well executed across all criteria”, according to the judges, who applauded its “open crumb and great taste”. Once the judges discovered it, the loaf was used as a benchmark for the rest of the category and was never topped. It’s made with strong white flour, rye levain, wheat levain, water, and salt.
Seeded Sourdough
Winner: Malted Seed Sourdough, Mor
It was tight at the top of the Seeded Sourdough category, but this loaf pipped the others to poll position. Packed with pumpkin seeds and barley, the loaf is made with Matthews Cotswold Crunch Flour and Wildfarmed T65. It “balanced the sour notes with flavour of the seeds perfectly”, said the judges who also highlighted the loaf’s “wonderful open crumb”.
White
Winner: Large White Loaf, Paul’s Bread
A “quintessential white loaf” was how the judges described the Large White Loaf from Paul’s Bread in Cornwall. Made with simple ingredients, it had a crisp crust and soft crumb. “Perfect for a lovely ham sandwich” and “delivered a delightful bready warmth”, were other comments from the panel.
Wholegrain
Winner: Rye Sourdough with Sunflower Seeds, Natural Bread
One hundred percent rye with sunflower seeds – that’s how Natural Bread describes this loaf. It stood out in the Wholegrain category for its “wonderful depth of flavour” and mouthfeel. The seeds around the sides and throughout helped to create a beautiful nutty flavour and a “lovely texture that wasn’t too dense”.
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