- Waitrose has launched a new Farmhouse Loaf made using nature-friendly wheat.
- The wheat has been grown at the Waitrose Farm on the Leckford Estate in Hampshire - the only supermarket owned farm in the UK.
- Bread is persistently trending and dominating food spaces, with #toast gaining 4 million views on TikTok in the UK in the last 7 days alone.
Stop ‘wheatever’ you’re doing - Waitrose has broadened its bread offer with a delicious new loaf made with flour grown using regenerative farming practices. Not only adding to our Bakery’s collection of fresh doughy goodness, the launch is another product produced from our very own farm on the Leckford Estate in Hampshire.
The Waitrose Leckford Farmhouse Loaf (£2.50) is baked in store each morning for a loaf that's crusty on the outside and soft inside - perfect for food lovers who enjoy a delicious sandwich or perfect piece of hot buttery toast - and is now available in 249 of our shops and online at Waitrose.com.
Bread is a consistent trend, with #toast gaining 4 million views on TikTok in the UK in the last 7 days alone. The modest sandwich is also having a moment - with the tag 'Sandwiches' on TikTok having over 259m posts, and searches on Waitrose.com for our Chicken Swiss Cheese Toastie recipe and Burrata Mortadella Pesto Focaccia recipe up 229% and 98% respectively in comparison to last year. With the launch of the new Leckford Loaf, customers can get creative in the kitchen at lunchtime.
James Kingham, Technical Innovation Manager at Waitrose said: “Lovingly crafted using flour from our own farm in Hampshire, the wheat has been farmed using regenerative methods. This loaf is good for the planet as well as for breakfast!
Our Farmhouse loaf is perfect for that weekend brunch, loaded with flavourful avocado or simply served alongside a delicious soup.”
To celebrate the launch, Will Torrent, Senior Brand Development Chef at Waitrose, created a classic bacon and egg toasted sandwich, using Waitrose Duchy Organic Free Range Bacon and Duchy Organic Free Range Eggs - bringing together both our No.1* animal welfare standards as well as nature-friendly farmed ingredients.
As the only UK supermarket owned farm producing fresh local produce, the Leckford Estate in Hampshire has been farming regeneratively since 2020, and commits to embracing a farming system that produces high quality food that is kinder to the environment. This includes protecting soil, conserving water and enhancing nature - all of which play a vital part in the new Leckford Loaf.
Andrew Hoad, Head of the Leckford Estate, said: “We are really proud of the launch of the Leckford Farmhouse Loaf. Not only does the bread taste absolutely delicious, but it also represents the ambitious nature-friendly farming methods that Leckford has been practising for the last four years. We are mindful of the way in which we grow our crops on the estate, and we have been farming to regenerative principles - protecting the soil, saving water and enhancing biodiversity. Waitrose is the only supermarket to own a farm, and we want to showcase that food that is good for the environment can also be incredibly good for our customers too.”
As well as the wheat which produces the Leckford Loaf flour, the farm grows apples, pears, grapes and rapeseed. These all form part of the delicious range of Leckford products; including apple juice, cider, sparkling wine from the vineyard, and cold pressed rapeseed oil. As well as fresh produce, Leckford has a cattle herd which has 30% more space than the Red Tractor Standard.
Notes to Editors:
*Waitrose has won more Compassion in World Farming awards than any other supermarket. All reared on British farms, they have more space to peck and play. Calves are reared to world-leading standards of animal welfare, game with minimal intervention.
On Wednesday 8th May Waitrose announced a commitment to support more than 2,000 of its British farmers to move to nature-friendly farming practices, helping to boost financial resilience of farms in the long-term and combat the effects of climate change. Find out more here.
What is regenerative agriculture?
Regenerative agriculture describes holistic farming systems that, among other benefits, improve soil, water and air quality, enhance ecosystem biodiversity, produce nutrient-dense food, and store carbon to help mitigate the effects of climate change. These farm systems are designed to work in harmony with nature, while also maintaining and improving economic viability. [LEAF, Six Simple Steps to Regenerative Agriculture].
About the John Lewis Partnership
The John Lewis Partnership owns and operates two of Britain's best-loved retail brands - John Lewis and Waitrose. Started as a radical experiment over a century ago, the Partnership is now the largest employee-owned business in the UK, with over 74,000 employees who are all Partners in the business. The Partnership is purpose-driven, existing to create a fairer and more sustainable future for our Partners, customers, suppliers and communities. Our Purpose not only inspires our principles, drives our decisions and acts as our guide to be a force for good, it steers us to do things differently and better - all in service of creating a happier world for everyone and everything we touch.
Waitrose
Waitrose & Partners has 329 shops in England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands, including 59 convenience branches, 27 shops at Welcome Break locations, and Waitrose.com - its fast-growing online shopping business, consistently rated highly by independent research. The retailer combines the convenience of a supermarket with the expertise and service of a specialist shop - dedicated to offering quality food that has been responsibly sourced, combined with high standards of customer service. As part of an employee-owned business, all Partners have a say in how the business is run.
About Leckford Estate
Leckford is a 2,800 acre estate in Hampshire owned by the Partnership for the last 94 years. It was the vision of our Founder, Spedan Lewis. It was his home and a farm; a place where he could grow produce for his grocery business and a place where he could pursue his interest in conservation and the study of our natural world. Leckford today is a diverse estate with interests in farming, food processing, leisure, property and retail. As the Waitrose Farm, farming is our big story. We farm around 2,500 acres of our own land and a neighbouring farm. We are a mixed farm producing arable crops, beef, apples, pears and grapes.
