Award for gluten-free range

UK artisan baker, Bath Bakery, has been awarded the prestigious Crossed Grain Symbol from Coeliac UK for its gluten-free range of baked goods.

Recognised internationally, the Crossed Grain Symbol can only be displayed by food manufacturers whose processes pass rigorous independent testing and are therefore certified as gluten-free.

Earlier this year Bath Bakery, which employs more than 100 people in its 12 shops located in and around the city, launched its gluten-free range, called Batch#5, which can be enjoyed by coeliac sufferers as well as those with wheat intolerance.

To meet Coeliac UK’s strict rules on gluten contamination Bath Bakery’s managing director, Mark Slevin, made the decision to invest in a completely new production facility at Farrington Gurney specifically for the Batch#5 range.

That investment has now paid off, with the Batch#5 range one of the few hand-crafted artisan bakers in the country with permission from Coeliac UK to display the Crossed Grain logo.

“I’m a firm believer that if something’s worth doing then it’s worth doing right,” says Mark Slevin: “When we looked at introducing a gluten-free range of goods it was clear that just using gluten-free ingredients wasn’t enough and, from scratch, we had to create an environment free from any possible risk of gluten contamination.”

Not only did Bath Bakery open a brand new production facility located in Farringtons Farm Shop in Farrington Gurney, but a set of rules were put in place to ensure the Batch#5 range reaches customers completely gluten free.

“People who want a wheat-free lifestyle, who have a wheat or gluten intolerance or are coeliac sufferers are sometimes a little suspicious of products produced in a bakery,” explains Mark.

“That’s why we opened an entirely new production facility, which is completely gluten-free with all risk of contamination eliminated.”