Outstanding Northern Irish successes in World Bread Awards

Six Northern Ireland bakers have won numerous awards in the annual World Bread Awards 2017.

The awards, sponsored by Tiptree, not only celebrate the skill of bread-making at its most diverse and inspiring, but also seek to encourage and foster the art of baking both now and for the future generation.

The gold award in the Irish Wheaten category was won by Thyme and Company, an artisan bakery based in Ballycastle, county Antrim. Thyme and Company is run by Eimear and Tom Mullin, who operate the artisan bakery as part of a small restaurant.

The other Northern Ireland award winners were:

Ann's Pantry, Larne, county Antrim - Silver for Fruit Veda Malt and Veda Malt Loaf, Irish Wheaten and Speltmeal Oven Soda;

Irwin's Bakery, Craigavon, county Armagh - Silver for Rankin Selection Wheaten Loaf; Bronze for Great British White, Irwin's Artisan Corn Bread and Nutty Krust;

Tony's Griddle Goods, Ballycastle, county Antrim - Bronze for Cheese and Carmalised Onion Soda and for Bacon and Mustard Irish Soda;

Ursa Minor Bakehouse, Ballycastle, county Antrim - Bronze for Light Rye Loaf, Country Loaf and Oat Porridge;

Yellow Door Bakery, Portadown, county Armagh - Bronze for Raspberry and Almond Loaf and Irish Wheaten Loaf;

The World Bread Awards is open to open to all - artisan bread makers, small high street bakers, home bread-makers, child bakers - the next generations.

Bread is a huge industry in the UK - 12 million loaves are sold every day. The phenomenon of the artisan bakery has taken off in the last decade. Not only is commercially-made bread popular, but home-baking is massively on the rise too.