Speciality-Food-June-2025

the end result; a good, reliable rise underpins what bakers are looking for right now. For Bertie Matthews, MD of Matthews Cotswold Flour, consistency is key to ensuring the rise of quality flours – and bakes. “Consumers are very interested in quality and consistency,” he begins, “and having great flour will make your baking results better in every conceivable way – from taste to nutrition and everything in between. Consistency is a great driver too – making sure that your ingredients produce repeatable results has always “Shoppers are looking for alternatives for either a healthier version of something or a more flavourful version of something, plus culinary adventure,” says Monika Linton, founder of Brindisa. The thousands – if not more – of recipes available on social media and the wider internet are no doubt inspiring this hunt for better. “With the access of more info online, people want to experiment and learn,” she says. The rise of quality flour While classic white bread flour seemed a major winner of 2020, with the Covid-19 pandemic inspiring consumers across the board to dip their fingers into home baking, today’s fine food shopper is looking for something a little more flavourful and adventurous. Options abound, fromflours made from ancient grains to trending rye and seed-studdedmixes, but ultimately it all comes down to 22 W hile fine food favourite like cheese, charcuterie and flavoursome, provenance- rich sauces will always be popular at fine food establishments, smart buyers are stocking up on high quality staples such as flour and pulses – and exciting adventurous shoppers as they do so. Gone are the days of customers choosing between white and wholemeal flour for their baking, or tinned chickpeas or kidney beans for their cooking; in 2025, there’s a raft of high quality, taste-packed, hugely versatile and eye-catching products on the market to delight both retailers and fine food shoppers. The increasing appetite for international cuisine, as well as the hunger for simple pleasures such as home baking, have meant that British consumers are on the hunt for new takes on their store cupboard stalwarts – and Speciality Food retailers are in prime position to benefit. By seeking out products with clear markers of quality such as provenance, and sharing inspiration for how to utilise these ingredients – think salads and stews bolstered by rich jarred butter beans, and gut-friendly sourdough loaves laced with rye and seeds – retailers are onto a winner. @specialityfood MONIKA LINTON BRINDISA BERTIE MATTHEWS MATTHEWS COTSWOLD FLOUR CLARE MARRIAGE DOVES COMMENTATORS been vital for professional bakers but, as more people start baking at home, consistency has become a more important factor for everyone.” Stocking up on a cheap supermarket white flour might seem the natural first step for many shoppers, but by inspiring them to buy better you are strengthening the case for repeat business. Bonus points if you can inspire themwith simple recipes, then offer them the opportunity to level up and experiment withmore adventurous bakes based around great quality flour. “Qualitymakes a huge difference – the results you can achieve at home with just a little knowledge and some great ingredients will always impress and canmake a huge difference to the way you approach food in general,” explains Bertie. “The benefits of knowing exactly what’s in the food you’re eating, not to mention serving to your friends and family, are many.” Thankfully, Matthews is available to support retailers keen to up their flour game. “We’re always looking for new and engaging ways that we can collaborate with retailers to help inspire home bakers everywhere. We work with our online baking community, collaborating with content creators to develop new recipes, sharing innovative baking tips and techniques as widely as we can!” Provenance, a key point of difference for fine food retailers and their customers, also plays a role here. “We also work with our suppliers and retailers to help tell the full story of our food, from farm (to mill, to shop) to fork, with special focus on the sustainability benefits of Organic and Regenerative farming models where relevant,” says Bertie. “Movements like the Real Bread Campaign are also a great resource for building awareness, and we work with UK Flour Millers on industry wide initiatives at every opportunity.” Bread-making offers the most valuable opportunity for Speciality Food readers, says Bertie. “We have the largest range of speciality flour in the UK, and it is continuing to grow–with brand new regenerative lines coming (very) soon! Bread flour represents our strongest selling product group as a whole, with eight out of ten of our top selling flours being best for baking bread and rolls. Our best-selling flour is Cotswold Crunch, closely followed by Eight Grain in second place, and our premiumStrong Bread Flours are always tied for a very close joint third (Strong White, Churchill, Canadian Great White, Strong Wholegrain and ONTHE PULSE Far from being basic, flour and pulses offer an opportunity to get creative