Bowled over by bread creation
A novel serving concept called the Bread Bowl has put ethnic bread manufacturer Butt Foods in the spotlight.
The idea is simple: sweet or savoury bread is baked into a hollow bowl shape, which is sturdy enough to hold a filling, while remaining soft enough to eat. The product took a year to develop and is expected to be worth £2M.
Butt predicts that the bowl will increase the use of UK grain by over 750,000t over the next three years -- an achievement that earned the firm a £250,000 enterprise award from the Home Grown Cereals Authority.
"In the 15 years since the company was set up, I have never seen so much interest in a product," says Butt md David Williams. "Our idea has the potential to change the way people eat so many foods." Curry in a naan bread bowl; chilli in a garlic bread bowl; or salad in a ciabatta bowl are just a few serving suggestions.
"However, without the help of the Manufacturing Advisory Service [MAS] this would only be an idea," says Williams. The government-run MAS helped get the project off the ground by providing subsidised technical consultancy, working with the team from the initial design stage through to the assembly line.
Launched by the government in 2002, MAS provides manufacturers with the support they need to improve the service they offer and compete with global rivals. MAS operates through 10 centres across the UK and provides a tailored service to meet different regional needs.
