Mantinga, the specialist bread company, is to distribute the Manoucher range of soft Mediterranean-style breads outside London and the M25.

The line of eight handmade soft breads includes the pre-sliced Barbaree loaf for sandwiches, Basil Loaf, Fokachio, Garlic Loaf, Mediterranean Sunset, Summer Dreams and Persian Noon.

Manoucher was set up by Iranian businessman Manoucher Etminan in Canada in 1983 and grew out of his passion for making and eating food.

Gloucestershire-based Man-tinga supplies more than 260 speciality frozen bakery products from regional artisan craft bakeries across Europe. The company is already well-established inside the M25, with customers including British Airways and Virgin, but, until now, did not have the logistical capabilities to expand beyond Greater London. "I am very excited about this partnership as we share very similar values and a passion for bread," commented Steven Mackintosh, director of Mantinga.