Warburtons to launch 100% British wheat loaf

[Fransisco]

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 | By Russell Parsons

Warburtons has followed the lead of rival Hovis by announcing that it is to
switch to using 100% British wheat in a new loaf to launch next year.

The bread maker has not gone as far as Hovis, which last week announced plans to use locally produced wheat across its entire range, but will launch two new loaves - a soft white and a soft
brown - next spring.

A spokesman for Warbutons says the launch of the new Seed to Crumb loafs will be supported by an above and below-the-line campaign.

Jonathan Warburton, chairman of the firm, says the family-owned baker has
“wanted to bake a British loaf for a long time”. Hovis, which made its announcement last Friday (20 November), currently uses between 25% and 50% British wheat in its loaves with the rest imported from Canada.

The two bread makers have been upping their marketing efforts in the past 12
months in a battle for market share.
Warburtons is understood is to be looking to refresh its brand identity and recently appointed Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R to handle its advertising business.

Hovis owner, Premier Foods has seen an uplift in sales this year for that it
attributes in part to last year’s “Go on lad” heritage ad, created by Miles
Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy.

[Fransisco]

Warburtons says "bye, bye wheat board".

Has anybody here had one of those 'special' Warburton wheat board contracts in the past? I heard they were quite the sweetheart deal.

[broker]

worked for a company that did them, were a very lucrative program for the producers that got in on them.

[SASKFARMER3]

Worked for two groups 1 warbuton cheap high protien grain, seed companies who sold the seed finally for pennies the farmer didn't win he lost.

[ianben]

Warburtons have established a premium brand paying premium prices both here and in Canada.

Hovis have been seen as slightly inferiour and have probably always used more British wheat. Now just bigging it up as is the trend.
The UK grown barrie will not be the same as yours as our climates are so different.

In a credit crunch people will look to cheaper alternatives so Warburtons will be making this range to stop Hovis gaining market share.

I have stated before on here you can taste the sunshine in the premium warburton loaf made with your wheat.

I and I am sure many others will continue buy this loaf. Just keep giving them access to the quantity and quality they demand.

[SASKFARMER3]

I repeat their was no premium some tried to work with it but most gave up after a while. Yea we have great hrs but when will the canadian farmer get paid for it not pennies like we get from CWB. But were fed BS by the bucket fulls.

[broker]

that is mostly because the grain co's that were doing it started to take more and more of the premiums that Warburtons were offering to the growers for themselves. $5 premium a tonne in the end was a very small portion of what was there to be given....

[Fransisco]

How high was the premium when it started, or what was the most anyone ever got?

[SASKFARMER3]

Broker if they got the 5 ton premium and had a 60 bushel crop they got 8 more an acre oh the extra to buy certified seed versus bin run is 10 (4 vs 9 x 2 bus = 10) so they lost 2 dollars an acre. HM some one is good at math.

[Francksaskfarmer]

I have grown Warburton wheat for 2 years and I don't think I will be signing a contract next year.
The premium is $20/T (50c/bu) but you have to have #1&2 above 12.5 prot.
The biggest thing is that you have to buy crtified seed. If you buy 2bu/ac at $9/bu you are already giving away the premium. Another thing is that the contract is for a number of rail car lot so on a good year your extra tonnes might have to go without a premium.
Not the sweetheart deal if you ask me.

Francksaskfarmer

[Hopperbin]

Sounds like no one is going to have Warberton contracts if the CWB is not going to sell to the UK anymore. What time of the year were these contracts made? Interesting that Ianben states bread made with a mixture of Canadian wheat is better. Does that mean that your HRSW has a harder time meeting spec Ian? Does your subsidy system in Europe make it difficult to source local HRSW?

[ianben]

Here in UK we have been eating bread made with Canadian wheat for so long that is that how we expect it to taste. We have all been raised on it.

Bread made with 100% British wheat tastes slightly different. Breads I have tasted in France and Germany also have different flavours. Millers have been blending Canadian and British wheats for years trying to keep the canadian flavour but with maximum UK inclusion.

That is why I dont think Barrie grown here will have the same taste as Barrie grown on the Canadian prairies.