End of the loaf affair... Tesco to shut bakeries
HUNDREDS of bakeries will no longer offer a full ‘bake from scratch’ service at Tesco amid claims customers are turning away from traditional loaves.
The move means more than 1,800 bakery staff have been warned of possible redundancy when the overhaul comes into force from May.
Tesco claims the move reflects changing tastes with families switching from a traditional loaf, such as a bloomer, to wraps, bagels and flatbreads.
The decision appears to be driven by a desire to cut costs as all the mainstream supermarkets try to combat the effect of losing shoppers to discounters such as Aldi and Lidl. In 58 Tesco stores staff will only heat and ‘bake off’ products that have been made elsewhere. Critics of this approach have likened these supermarket bakeries to bread ‘tanning salons’.
And in 201 stores, the most popular products will still be baked from scratch, with other products to be part-baked. Bakeries in 257 stores will not be affected.
Tesco said: ‘Our bakeries are an important part of our offer for customers and will remain so. However, over recent years, we have seen a big shift in customer tastes and preferences.’ Tesco said the changes mean that 1,816 bakery staff have been warned of possible redundancy but it hoped to offer them alternative roles.
The Real Bread Campaign rejected the claim that people no longer want a traditional loaf.
Campaign co-ordinator Chris Young said: ‘What we’re seeing is people turning towards, not away from lovingly-crafted, delicious, nutritious, additive-free loaves.
‘The last time we checked, a large number of Tesco stores didn’t bake from scratch anyway, staff merely put ready-made products in loaf tanning salons to re-bake them.’