Entries are OPEN for 2026!
Britain’s Best Loaf returns to the UK Food & Drinks Shows held at NEC Birmingham on Tuesday 14 April 2026 for its 13th year, celebrating the skill, creativity, and technical excellence of the UK’s professional bread making community. The competition recognises outstanding craftsmanship from bakers who want to benchmark their loaves against the very best from across the industry.
Do you want to showcase your bread-making skills and the quality of your work to peers and potential customers? If your answer is YES — Britain’s Best Loaf 2026 is the competition for you!
This year’s event features eight categories: Flavoured Sourdough, Gluten Free, Innovation, International, Plain Sourdough, Seeded Sourdough, White, and Wholegrain.
Why enter Britain’s Best Loaf 2026?
- Gain local and national PR exposure, previous winners have featured across major news outlets, including the BBC and The Guardian.
- Free use of winners’ logos and Gold, Silver & Bronze medal assets.
- Network with fellow bakers and industry suppliers.
- Featured in editorial coverage on British Baker
- Recognise and reward your team’s technical skills and hard work.
- Gain an independently verified, nationally recognised accolade for your products.
If you have what it takes to rise above the rest, enter below!
Please note: Due to the volume of entries we’ve received in recent years, if a category becomes oversubscribed, we reserve the right to close entries early.
Categories
A loaf made 100% by fermentation using naturally occurring lactobacillus and the capture of wild yeasts through a starter dough (loaves with added yeast will not be accepted into the category). The loaf must be made from flour, salt and water, plus additional ingredients including, but not limited, to cheese, herbs and spices, nuts, vegetables, and honey. The recipe and method should be enclosed with each entry. Loaves entered must currently be available for sale and at the same standard as submitted.
A loaf of bread of any variety but must be made with 100% gluten-free ingredients – this includes but is not limited to, the flour and yeast as well as any other ingredients or toppings. The recipe and method should be enclosed with each entry. Loaves entered must currently be available for sale and at the same standard as submitted.
A loaf which can be made using any bread processing technique. Innovation can include, but is not limited to, a new or unusual flavour, a novel use of ingredients, improved sustainability, mashups of techniques and formats, an unusual format, or a development which takes a loaf to a new occasion. The product entered should be of a suitable size for sharing to be considered a loaf meaning items such as rolls are not accepted. The recipe and method, including details of how the loaf is innovative, should be enclosed with each entry. Loaves entered must currently be available for sale and at the same standard as submitted.
A loaf first conceived outside of Britain. This includes but is not limited to focaccia, ciabatta, fougasse, soda bread or baguettes. However, the bakery which enters the product must be based in Britain. The product entered should be of a suitable size for sharing to be considered a loaf meaning items such as rolls and bagels are not accepted. The recipe and method should be enclosed with each entry. Loaves entered must currently be available for sale and at the same standard as submitted.
A loaf made 100% by fermentation using naturally occurring lactobacillus or the capture of wild yeasts through a starter dough (loaves with added yeast will not be accepted into the category). The loaf may only contain flour, water, and salt. The recipe and method should be enclosed with each entry. Loaves entered must currently be available for sale and at the same standard as submitted.
A loaf made 100% by fermentation using naturally occurring lactobacillus and the capture of wild yeasts through a starter dough (loaves with added yeast will not be accepted into the category). The loaf may only contain flour, water, salt, and seeds, including but not limited to, chia, sesame, sunflower, and poppy seeds. The recipe and method should be enclosed with each entry. Loaves entered must currently be available for sale and at the same standard as submitted.
A yeast-raised white loaf, which may be floured and/or cut or left plain before baking. The majority of the flour used must be white, however additional ingredients are allowed such as fat, potato, seeds, and small quantities of other flours. The recipe and method should be enclosed with each entry. Loaves entered must currently be available for sale and at the same standard as submitted.
A loaf of any shape made from any combination of grains including but not limited to barley, wholewheat, malted wheat, spelt, or oats. The recipe and method should be enclosed with each entry. Loaves entered must currently be available for sale and at the same standard as submitted.
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