Better Bread makes its debut with rye-based loaves

A new high-fibre sourdough brand is aiming to change the way UK consumers think about bread.

Better Bread has launched with a range of rye-based bread made using a whole-grain white and rye sourdough starter and traditional slow fermentation with no added yeast, fat, artificial additives, preservatives, or emulsifiers. The line-up comprises:

• The Mother Loaf – the brand’s signature loaf with seeds, apple, carrot and wholegrains
• The Fruity One – the signature loaf with added raisins, figs and banana
• The Protein One – similar to the signature loaf, but with some of the flour swapped out for wheat protein
• The Rye Pocket – Scandi-inspired seeded buns using a combination of dark and light rye flour and a fermented leaven for a malty flavour.

Better Bread is using Shipton Mill flour and organic or regenerative ingredients where possible, and all products are handmade using a bulk 24-hour ferment along with pre-soaking all the seeds and grains.

The Cambridgeshire-based brand has been created by three friends – Annabel Sedgwick, who developed the recipes; baker Andrew ‘Sedge’ Sedgwick; and marketing expert Vhari Russell – who started Better Bread because they couldn’t find an everyday bread that was also ‘really healthy’.

“We made this bread at home because it’s what we wanted to be eating and sharing with our family and friends every day,” says Annabel. “We have been thoughtful with how we are scaling up, selecting ingredients from suppliers that care about the planet, being generous with the ingredients, especially the seeds, and sticking to our slow 24-hour fermentation process.”

Sedge added that ‘better’ is behind every decision the brand takes. “Better, for us, means better for you, better for the community around us and better for the planet,” he said.

Better Bread products are currently sold direct to consumers through the brand’s website. The business has also secured listings with farm shops and at online retailer Wylde Market, and is working on a plan to scale up and launch more widely into retail.

As it scales, the business is planning to recruit staff as inclusively as possible, with the aim of removing barriers to employment, and taking on young adults with learning difficulties.