Jason’s Sourdough has overtaken Kingsmill to become Britain’s third biggest bread brand.
Data from NIQ, published as part of The Grocer’s Top Products survey, revealed that Jason’s Sourdough has gained an impressive £42.4m in sales over the past year, representing an increase of 114.5%. This takes its total sales to £79.5m for the 52 w/e 6 September 2025.
However, the new ranking – which sees Jason’s sit behind Warburtons and Hovis – isn’t purely driven by the sourdough brand’s success. Kingsmill, which is now in fourth place, has seen sales fall by 31.5%, wiping £33.9m off its value leaving the total at £73.7m.
Manufactured by Leicestershire-based Geary’s Bakeries, which was named Bakery Manufacturer of the Year at the 2025 Baking Industry Awards, Jason’s has flown up the rankings since it first hit the scene in 2020. It quickly overtook Roberts Bakery to claim fourth place in the nation’s bread charts, although like its leapfrogging of Kingsmill this was partly due to a downturn of Roberts’ fortunes.
“The vast majority of our growth has been incremental to the bread category, which is something we’re really proud of,” Jason’s Sourdough master baker Jason Geary told British Baker. “We’re bringing new shoppers into premium bread and trading customers up from standard sliced loaves by offering something that feels genuinely better, but still really accessible.”
He believes the brand is benefitting from the shift in consumer mindset which sees shoppers increasingly want products with recognisable ingredients, and fewer of them.
“At the same time, retailers have recognised the opportunity in premium bread, giving it more space in-store and extending ranges into more locations, which has made Jason’s easier to find and buy,” he added.
Geary’s has also been investing heavily in production with a new £36m state-of-the-art factory coming online in May. The third facility in the firm’s portfolio helped it double capacity and was described as a clear sign of the Geary’s ‘rapid commercial scale-up across both its branded and own-label bakery operations’ as it invested in the future growth of the premium bread segment.
Looking to the future, Geary said the brand’s focus is on “continuing to grow awareness of the brand and getting Jason’s into more households, while also expanding the number of occasions where people enjoy our products”.
This has been aided by recent NPD in the form of its Creations sub-brand of flavoured loaves as well as protein rolls and crumpets which hit the market in September. Jason’s even landed on the nation’s TV screens for the first time as part of a multi-million campaign.
The latter comes as part of an educational push by the brand as it looks to better help consumers understand what sourdough is and the benefits it offers.
“Many consumers remain confused about the term, so explaining the craft, the ingredients and the attributes of a good sourdough will be key to driving further growth,” Geary explained.
Having rocketed onto the podium, Jason’s Sourdough isn’t resting on its laurels. “Ultimately, we want to make Jason’s a staple choice for more people, more often,” Geary added.
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