Bakery giants Hovis and New York Bakery Co (NYBC) have both added new products to their ranges, with Hovis introducing Wholemeal & Tasty Spelt loaf and NYBC announcing a Cheese Bagel variant.

Available to purchase from major retailers this month, the sliced loaf will be priced £1.15 at 750g, while the Cheese Bagel will be available in a five pack – priced at £1.60.

Demand for products containing ancient grains led to Hovis launching the brand new sliced bread to its range to fulfil its customers’ needs.

Hovis marketing director Sharon Barraclough said: "Globally, bakery is the most popular category for ancient grains innovation, and there is a clear opportunity to capitalise on this within the wholemeal sector.”

NYBC’s Cheese Bagel was produced to offer consumers a broader choice. NYBC marketing director Tim Barkey said: “Cheese takes the top spot as the all-time most requested bagel flavour by our consumers, and we know choice and variety is the absolute gateway to consumer trial.”

The NYBC launch is set to be supported by a £1.2m marketing campaign, including TV and digital advertising, and follows a £2m upgrade of the brand’s manufacturing facilities.

Earlier this month, Hovis hosted a tea party for local families at a community centre in Beckton, East London, while NYBC added wholemeal bagels to its range in March.