UK retailer Waitrose has announced that it will be the first British retailer to launch a bread made with teff grain, an innovation that had been initially suggested by a British-Ethiopian employee.
Teff grain is used to bake the traditional Ethiopian flatbread injera. It is rich in fibre, iron, protein and calcium, and it is a good source of Vitamin C. In addition to being a superfood, the fine grain has great productive potential: one pound of teff seed can produce up to one tonne of grain in around 12 weeks.
Although the grain's cultivation is protected in Ethiopia, it has been taken up by other countries, including Spain – the source of the flour used in the Waitrose loaf.
Kate Smith-Bingham, bakery buyer at Waitrose, said, "We saw many shoppers choosing flour alternatives, such as coconut flour, so when Desta [Wossenie] showed us a fantastic and delicious bread that used teff instead of wheat, we couldn’t wait to share it with our customers."
The new Waitrose teff loaf is produced by artisanal bakery The Celtic Bakers, in North London. It is available in 161 Waitrose supermarkets.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Martha Sparrius. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
