Shoppers are to be offered a fresher bakery experience at Tesco, with the introduction of new top quality, limited-edition speciality bread and sweet products, available for less than the premium prices often found at trendy artisan bakeries.
The major move has seen the supermarket re-design its in-store bakery range launching nearly 30 new lines, including six limited-edition products.
As part of the revamp, which will roll out to all Tesco bakeries this month, the supermarket will also include nutritional information on packaging, such as calorie content and daily recommended allowances.
Tesco Lead Bakery Product Development Manager, Sarah Donovan said: “Times are changing in the baking world, and we’re seeing the emergence of an adventurous new type of shopper who is eager to try more premium artisan varieties of bread and sweet treats.
“But we don’t believe that shoppers should have to pay high prices for artisan bakery items, which is why we’ve launched a new range of great quality products baked daily in store.”
Among new artisan bread lines being introduced are:
- Tesco Finest Cheddar Boule – 400g – £2.25. Fermented for 12 hours and bursting with indulgent, melted pockets of Vintage and West Country Cheddar and Red Leicester cheeses. Stonebaked for a deep crust.
- Tesco Finest Halkidiki and Kalamata Olive Batard 400g – £2.25. Made with a blend of Greek olives – black olives from the southern Ionian area of Kalamata and green olives from the northern Halkidiki peninsula to give a full and rounded flavour.
- Tesco Finest Limited Edition Rosemary and Sea Salt Focaccia – 250g – £2.25. Crafted with a long fermented Italian style Biga dough, made and hand topped with Italian extra virgin olive oil, Anglesey sea salt and rosemary.
Added Sarah Donovan: “Instead of seeing bread as just something to toast in the morning or make a sandwich with, more people are beginning to appreciate it as a food to savour and one that can have many different flavours and complex tastes.
“This has resulted in a major boom for speciality bread with sales of focaccia, ciabatta and Mediterranean varieties all selling really well.”
New sweet lines include:
- Tesco Finest 2 Victoria Sponge Muffins – £1.75. Made with a light and fluffy vanilla sponge the muffins are filled with strawberry jam and topped with strawberry pieces with buttercream enriched with clotted cream.
- Tesco Finest 2 Sicilian Lemon Meringue Pastries – £1.90. A new twist on the classic lemon meringue pie. These Danish pastries are made up of 24 layers of delicious flaky pastry with a zingy Sicilian lemon favoured filling and finished with crunchy meringue pieces and a drizzle of icing.
Tesco has dropped the price of bread and butter across its stores and online as part of its commitment to provide value for customers during the cost-of-living crisis. The move has included reducing the price of the supermarket’s most popular bread, the Tesco Toastie white bread, from 85p to 75p.
Today, in-store bakeries are a common feature in many UK supermarkets, ranging from large chains to smaller local stores. They remain popular among consumers who appreciate the convenience, freshness, and variety offered by these in-store bakery sections.
