Coles Perfects In-Store Bread with Manildra Group
Manildra Group, together with major supermarket retailer Coles, have perfected the freshly baked in-store bread range using a combination of ingredients and baking techniques to create delicious bread varieties that contain less sodium, whilst producing softer and fluffier bread for longer.
In January 2021 Manildra Group expanded their range of products supplied to Coles in-store bakeries to include a range of high-quality savoury and sweet mixes.
Manildra Group’s research and development team in collaboration with Coles’ technical team invested two years intensively formulating the white loaves and roll recipes. The team successfully reduced salt content by up to 25 per cent, while ensuring soft bread varieties remained softer for longer once customers take them home.
As part of Coles’ purpose to sustainably feed all Australians and to help them lead healthier, happier lives, the new recipes have resulted in more than 76 tonnes of salt being removed from 46 Coles’ in-store bakery products every year – the equivalent of two semi-trailer loads.
Some of the most popular breads, like the in-store baked Coles White Sandwich, toast and block loaves, now contain as little as 274mg of sodium per 100g, compared to 375mg per 100g in former recipes.
Coles General Manager for Bakery Andy Mossop, said the Coles Bakery technical teams had worked closely with Manildra Group to provide low cost, healthier bread options for customers.
“In our mission to be Australia’s most sustainable supermarket, we have been gradually reducing sodium from in-store bakery bread rolls and loaves over the past two years without compromising on taste, quality or shelf life – our aim was to make the change without customers even noticing, and they haven’t,” he said.
“Bread is a household staple, and we sell more than 400 million Coles Bakery loaves and rolls from the in-store bakery each year. We’ve worked hard to create a new recipe which allows us to reduce sodium by up to 25 per cent while also maintaining great quality, value and taste because we know how important softness and flavour is to our customers.”
Manildra Group Managing Director John Honan said the company was proud to partner with Coles, supplying their more than 800 supermarkets.
“Together with Coles we are so excited to have created a high-quality product range produced with 100 per cent Australian wheat at our regionally based flour mills.
“Specially created using premium ingredients, the newly-launched Coles bread range leads the market in crumb softness and texture delivering delicious, fluffy breads,” Mr Honan said.
The newly formulated, freshly-baked bread loaves and rolls are available at Coles Supermarkets from their in-store bakeries nationally.
Coles awarded its national in-house bakery tender to Manildra Group in May 2020 with the scope also featuring bakery mixes for finished sweet treats ranging from decadent sweet buns and fruit loaves to custard scrolls, apple crumble logs, chocolate scrolls and finger buns.
The specially developed range of mixes – including Universal Bread Mix, Bun Mix, Multigrain Bread Mix and Wholemeal Bread Mix – are packed in 12.5kg bags at the state-of-the-art Manildra Flour Mill, and delivered to multiple Coles distribution centres across the nation.