Food-to-go supplier Simply Lunch has joined forces with regenerative farming specialist Wildfarmed to launch a trio of filled ciabatta loaves for foodservice operators.
The new ciabatta range from the Croydon-based, family-run manufacturer includes fillings of Mozzarella Tomato, Chicken Chorizo, and Vegan Antipasti.
Simply Lunch’s partnership with Wildfarmed is aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of its bakery production. The ciabatta loaves have been reformulated with Wildfarmed flour, which is milled from wheat produced through traditional, regenerative farming methods.
Preliminary research has shown that crops grown under Wildfarmed’s regenerative standards – which exclude the use of pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides and work with nature to manage crop health – have up to 49% more antioxidants than those grown conventionally.
Rather than adding to emissions associated with conventional flour production (0.87kg of CO2 emitted per kg), Wildfarmed flour actively contributes to the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (1.5kg of CO2 sequestered per kg), the company said. This statistic was one of factors that saw the company secure a Baking Industry Award for Sustainability Initiative of the Year 2023.
Sam Page, managing director at Simply Lunch, said the firm was thrilled to announce its strategic partnership with Wildfarmed, calling it “a collaboration that embodies our commitment to sustainable sourcing and delivering the highest quality ingredients to our customers”.
Wildfarmed co-founder Ed Lees also expressed delight to be supporting Simply Lunch’s ciabatta range, saying they were “making real food that transforms huge areas of depleted British farmland into healthy regenerative fields that are full of life”.
Simply Lunch’s range of pre-packaged bakery products includes items to be served hot such as toasties, paninis, ciabatta, pizza and wraps, as well as sandwiches, stuffed croissants, and rolls. In addition, it supplies salads, fruit, and snacking pots to its convenience customers in the public & education, travel & leisure, and business & industry sectors.
Should the new ciabatta range prove successful, Simply Lunch said it would look to expand its use of Wildfarmed flour in more of its products.
Other bakery businesses that have also introduced Wildfarmed flour into their product lines recently include The Bread Factory with a new bread range for foodservice and Higgidy’s savoury mini muffins.
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