Leading UK supermarkets and retailers are backing British farming by sourcing their flour, butter and eggs from local producers and farmers.
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons are joined by the Co-op, Waitrose, Lidl and Marks and Spencer in demonstrating their commitment to British baking by giving shoppers the choice of home-grown flour, butter and eggs to use in their baked goods.
Asda, Marks and Spencer and Morrisons are also backing British sugar beet growers by sourcing Silver Spoon granulated, caster and icing sugar in their stores.
The support for UK baking products - which comes at a time when the Great British Bake Off TV show has made cake-making more popular than ever - is the latest campaign by the National Farmers' Union (NFU) to get major retailers to buy more of their goods domestically.
Similar campaigns on meat, fruit and vegetables have also been backed by major food retailers.
The backing of British farming is seen as more important than ever. A recent report has said that for every £1 invested in farm support, farming delivers £7.40 back to the economy.
'Highest standards in the world'
NFU president Meurig Raymond said: “It is fantastic to see more retailers than ever committing to British farming and supporting them on the shelf-edge. British food is produced to some of the highest standards in the world and deserves to be widely available.
“We know that shoppers want to buy more British produce and the aim of our supermarket guide is to give them the information they need to do that. I’m sure the public will be delighted to know that retailers are giving them the opportunity to buy more British products by getting behind the nation’s farmers.”
The new Great British Bake Off presenter Prue Leith has also urged shoppers to back British farming.
Prue Leith, long-time supporter of the National Farmers' Union's (NFU) Back British Farming campaign and new presenter of the Great British Bake Off, urged shoppers to buy British.
She said: “UK butter, flour and eggs are all easily available and choosing them really helps our fantastic farmers. So let’s make the effort to buy British.”
While there is strong support for backing British flour, butter and eggs, only M&S have committed to use 100% British sugar in their own brands. The NFU is also working with Aldi, which has committed to increase their British flour offering.
