Honestly, gluten-free bread can taste great!
Northern Irelandbased specialist producer of gluten and wheat free baked goods, Honest has expanded its product range to include fresh bread. Honest wheat, gluten and dairy free brown bread has been listed exclusively in 176 Waitrose stores since its launch in the spring and sales are growing strongly week-on-week (up over 25 per cent from first appearing on-shelf).
And it should soon be more widely available to those who don't live close to a Waitrose store, as Honest wheat, gluten and dairy free brown bread is to be listed by Ocada, the online grocery retailer, which offers a huge range of Waitrose goods.
Commenting, Christina Watt, Director of Honest, said: "We actually developed our brown bread in response to requests from consumers who had tried our cakes and were so pleased to have a great tasting product that was suitable for coeliacs. While the coeliac (gluten-free) market is just 1.6 per cent of the UK population, the wheat free market, a lifestyle choice, is estimated to encompass 11 per cent of the UK population.
"Add a further 7.0 per cent who are dairy intolerant, and the true worth of the wheat, gluten and dairy free market is a very substantial 19.6 per cent of the UK population, or some 12 million people" explained Christina.
"With Honest, we can offer a fresh, gluten, wheat and dairy free bread with a minimum ten-day shelf life or more if kept refrigerated, as opposed to the typical five or six days of other fresh products. Honest also has a lower fat content than its competitors and delivers improved health benefits in terms of fibre, calcium and folic acid. Best of all, it tastes great and has that all-important 'sqeezeability' that consumers look for in a fresh bread, being soft and moist rather than dry and crumbly."
The response to Honest's gluten, wheat and dairy free brown bread has been so encouraging that the company has developed and trialled a white version, rolls and a seeded loaf, which will be launched shortly.
Based in Downpatrick in County Down, Honest has an established reputation for its gluten and wheat free cakes, all of which are handmade using only the finest quality natural ingredients. Sold in individual portions, which can be frozen, the range includes Apricot & Cherry, Date & Pecan, Cranberry & Orange, Ginger, Chocolate, Raspberry & Coconut, Apple & Cinnamon and Exotic Fruit. Amongst the company's customers are many hospitals throughout the UK, but also National Trust properties and independent coffee shops and retailers. Earlier this year, the company also launched gluten and wheat free biscuits in four varieties - Toasted Coconut & Orange, Crunchy Ginger, Cranberry & Orange and Chocolate Chip. Like Honest Cakes and Bread, the biscuits have the taste and texture of the 'real' thing and are proving just as popular with consumers who have no intolerances as with those who are gluten or wheat intolerant.