Roberts Bakery has unveiled a new sliced white sourdough loaf under its new sub-brand, Frank Roberts.
The launch of the 550g tin loaf (rsp: £1.89) marks the first piece of NPD from the Cheshire-based brand since it was rescued via a pre-pack deal by Boparan Private Office (BPO) last October.
It has been initially launched into Home Bargains ahead of a wider retail rollout throughout the autumn.
Described on pack as handcrafted and authentic, the white loaf is said to have been designed to offer consumers the versatility of sourdough in an everyday format, with slices conveniently sized to fit inside a standard toaster. Its soft texture also makes it suitable for sandwiches, offering an alternative to some of the more traditional, strongly flavoured sourdough products currently available, added Roberts.
It comes as consumer interest in sourdough continues to rise, noted the company, with the category recording strong growth in recent years. This trend is expected to continue to at least 2035 as more shoppers convert from standard white bread to the likes of sourdough that are perceived as healthier alternatives, said Roberts.
The pack proclaims that the loaf is made with just four ingredients – flour, water, salt, and fermented wheat – via a 24-hour process “from starter to finish” and does not contain any artificial preservatives or flavourings.
Packaging features the signature turquoise-green colourway of Roberts branding, but with noticeable similarities in fonts and design elements to those seen on the Ernest 100% sourdough range from Brace’s Bakery, which is also now owned by BPO.
Like Ernest, the Frank Roberts sourdough also takes its name from someone who helped drive growth of their respective family bakery business from the 1930s onwards. Frank was the son of Robert Roberts, who founded the company in 1887 in Northwich, where it still has a manufacturing site.
Roberts Bakery previously launched a White Sourdough Bloomer back in 2013, then created a three-strong range of long-fermented ‘Digestion Bloomers’ in 2019 to appeal to health-conscious consumers at a time when sourdough was not widely understood. The current branded range of Roberts products includes sliced loaves, rolls, crumpets, and teacakes.
Competition in the UK supermarket sliced sourdough market has continued to heat up this year with Jacksons of Yorkshire and Wildfarmed making their debuts, following on from Hovis’ entry last October. Jason’s Sourdough remains the top brand in sourdough, with substantial investments from owner-manufacturer Geary’s Bakeries paying off by way of a 40% jump in sales to £128.6m during 2025.
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