Gluten-free priorities

Gluten-free consumers are more concerned with quality and trust than pricing, according to new research by Dietary Specials (DS-gluten free). It also believes availability and quality of gluten- and wheat-free foods has improved dramatically in recent years. Tesco has the most regular gluten- and wheat-free shoppers, with 45% of its customers claiming to buy fortnightly or more often, closely followed by Sainsbury’s at 43%.

Kindred voices views

Anthony Kindred, of Kindred Bakery, appeared on the Channel 4 news on 18 January to discuss the rising price of ingredients, namely wheat. He said the only long-term answer for his business was to put up its prices to customers, with his loaves set to go up 10p after the price of the flour it is supplied rose last week by £50/tonne.

Roberts’ new design

Independent Cheshire baker Frank Roberts & Sons hopes new bread packaging will help raise its profile in more parts of the country. The new design across its 21-strong loaf range reflects the firm’s heritage and aims to build on its brand identity, using a new strapline, ’Baked with a pride you can taste’ and the image of its large windows, where passers-by can watch the bread going round in the towers as it cools.

Need a Cake move

Celebration cake maker Need a Cake is opening its doors to more would-be bakers with a move to much larger premises.

Almost one-third of the 15-year-old Reading firm’s business is through teaching accredited courses and holding parties and team-building events, which prompted owner Rachel Brown to move her seven-strong team into a building on the Woodley Park estate, where there is a dedicated teaching kitchen.

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