23 Nov 2009 --- Premier Foods has announced that its Hovis bread brand will be backing British farmers and moving to using 100% British Wheat across its entire range – the first major British bread brand to do so.
 
Due to launch in early 2010, the move, which represents a £18 million pound investment, comes as part of the brand’s continuing ‘renaissance’, which began with its award-winning Go On Lad advertising campaign and re-brand in September 2008. 
 
Hovis has been growing a strain of Canadian Red Wheat here in Britain for the past five years in trials and now has over 600 farmers across Great Britain growing wheat for Hovis loaves. This is the equivalent to one in eight British wheat fields being grown for Hovis.
 
This is a significant departure for the bread category, with major brands including both Warburtons and Kingsmill currently importing wheat from as far away as Canada and Australia.
 
NFU President Peter Kendall said: “It is fantastic news that Hovis will be committing to source 100 per cent of its wheat from Britain from next year. This shows real commitment to UK farming, and its skill, professionalism and reliability, by a well-known and respected UK company”.
 
Jon Goldstone, Marketing Director at Hovis said: “Jon Goldstone, at Hovis, said: "We used to import £18 million worth of Canadian wheat, £18 million which will now go to British farmers. This is a significant amount of cash.
 
Hovis’ move to 100% British will not only be a good deal for farmers. The new strain of wheat means a tastier, better quality, all-British Hovis loaf – without any price rise for consumers.