Britain’s Best Loaf is gearing up for another year of competition in which loaves from across the nation will go head-to-head to find out which one deserves the coveted title.
Sponsored by ADM, Brook Food & Bakery Equipment, L&M Parnaby, and Rademaker, the event takes place on Tuesday 8 April. Here, every loaf entered will undergo a rigorous process by a hand-selected panel of expert judges (who are set to be announced in a few weeks’ time).
So, how does the esteemed panel choose a winner? Let us walk you through the process.
All loaves are submitted via an online entry process where the bakers outline the ingredients and methods used, as well as any other pertinent information. Once all the entries are reviewed, bakers bring their lovely loaves to the NEC Birmingham for a day of live judging.
Judges are split into panels – tackling one or more categories depending on the number of entries. The categories are: Flavoured Sourdough, Gluten Free, Innovation, International, Plain Sourdough, Seeded Sourdough, White, and Wholegrain.
From there, each loaf is scored against four criteria – external appearance, internal structure, aroma, and taste – while loaves in the Innovation category are subject to an additional score based on how innovative they are (more on this below). The scoring is used to determine the winners of each category and, new for 2025, which loaves receive Gold, Silver, or Bronze accolades. The winning loaves in each category then undergo a second round of judging which sees all of our experts come together to discuss and determine which one takes home the title of Britain’s Best Loaf.
External appearance
The loaves are assessed from all angles as the judges analyse how tempting they are to consumers based on their looks but also whether they have been shaped well, and whether the crust colour is what you’d expect for this type of loaf.
Internal structure
Here, judges assess the technical skills of the baker behind the loaf – was the dough well proved? Was it baked for the correct amount of time? Is the crumb structure what you’d expect for this type of bread? Have the inclusions, if there are any, been distributed evenly?
Aroma
Does the loaf have an inviting aroma? Are the notes of the individual ingredients coming through? These are important questions for the judges when scoring aroma which involves taking a big sniff.
Taste
Is the loaf delicious? Does it taste as expected? Are the flavours that are promised in the name and description coming through loud and clear? These are the key questions discussions had by the judges as they analyse taste which, importantly, involves eating the lovely loaves.
Innovation
Only loaves in the Innovation category are marked on innovation. Entrants are asked to outline what makes their loaves innovative as part of the online entry process – information the judges then use to score them. This could include, but is not limited to, a new or unusual flavour, a novel use of ingredients, improved sustainability, mashups of techniques and formats, or a development which takes a loaf to a new occasion. Previous winners of this category a matcha & white chocolate brioche Japanais from Kuma-San Bakehouse and a Wild Hops & Barley Loaf from Peter Cooks Bread – both of which went on to secure the overall title of Britain’s Best Loaf in 2023 and 2020, respectively.
Enter your lovely loaves!
Want to get your loaves in front of our judges? Then be sure to enter them via our dedicated website. Entries cost £37+VAT and the deadline is Monday 10 March. Enter here: https://britainsbestloaf.co.uk/live/en/page/home
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