Where would we be without bread? Believed to have first been enjoyed by our palates over 8,000 years ago, this simple product with its roots in the land has far from lost its star appeal.
According to the UK federation of bakers, each day UK consumers eat their way through over 9 million large loaves. One example of this stable market is the news this week that two of the UK's leading suppliers of bakery ingredients and products, Arkady Craigmillar and Croda Food Services, have agreed to extend their business partnership.
The two companies announced yesterday that Arkady Craigmillar will include the sales and distribution of specialist oils, emulsions and release agents from Croda Food Services' - a division of Croda International - to in-store bakery operations in the UK.
The agreement, effective from 6 May 2003, compliments an existing agreement whereby Arkady Craigmillar supplies Croda Food Services' products to the Irish market.
Commenting on the new arrangement, John Lindsay, sales and marketing director for Arkady Craigmillar, said: "The existing partnership with Croda Food Services has proved highly successful, bringing advantages for both our businesses and customers. The extended agreement will further capitalise on the strong synergies in terms of our existing product range and customer base."
For Croda Food Services, the initial agreement with Arkady Craigmillar - signed in January 2002 and involving a variety of products including Starspray, a release emulsion designed primarily for in-store and craft bakers, and Greetin, a vegetable oil based release agent for highly automated, high volume production - helped to assure the future of Croda's product range in Ireland.
Managing director of Croda Food Services, John Dryden, commented: "We are confident that the development of the agreement to include the in-store bakery market will further enhance the partnership and meet the needs of our customers in this sector."
By all accounts, and as France prepares to celebrate 'Bread Day' in a nationwide event this Sunday, signs from Europe indicate that the days of our daily bread are far from over.