The staple peasant food throughout most of British history has been bread, but with widely diverse regional variations dependent upon the local predominant grain. Barley and oats, wheat and rye have long been staple flours in bread-making, but during periods of crop failure, imaginative additions or alternatives were flours made from peas and pulses.

Modern bread-making builds on an accumulation of experience in grain production and milling, and incorporates new ingredients and technologies to offer incredible diversity.

Even an identical recipe for a particular loaf of bread can vary dramatically from region to region – crops grown on different soils take on the characteristics of the area and contribute towards uniquely local flavours. Some bakers are fortunate enough to have nearby flourmills, and the breads produced in such bakeries are likely to be among the freshest and most genuinely local. Buyers also know that they are supporting everyone in the local chain – the farmers, the millers and the bakers themselves.

Bread continues to be a popular British staple, and even food allergies are now catered for with the production of gluten-free breads. The traditional loaf has by no means vanished – different flours and flavours, varied shapes and sizes have added more choice now than ever before.