French flour company Moul-Bie is planning a major increase in the number of craft bakeries taking part in its Ronde des Pains marketing and merchandising scheme in the UK.

The company, part of French miller Grands Moulins de Paris, hopes to raise membership of the scheme in the UK from the current total of 60 bakeries to 100 by the end of the year.

Ronde des Pains supports artisan bakery retailers by providing POS material and personalised signage. Members also have access to displays, merchandising equipment and uniforms at preferential rates, as well as a range of artisan flours.

Over 1,500 bakeries in France are part of Ronde des Pains, which first launched in the UK in 2005. The scheme also runs in Germany and Italy. Moul-Bie director Michel Nguyen told British Baker that around £100,000 has been invested in expanding the organisation’s membership outside France.