UK wheat proved its suitability for the export market at this year's HGCA International Bread Baking Workshop.

"The bread baking workshop provides an excellent opportunity for potential customers to bake their national breads using UK wheat, "said Emma Finn, HGCA's marketing manager. "In recent years the belief that the UK can only offer feed wheat for the export market has changed, and this event reinforces the quality of wheat available for bread and biscuits."

The 9th International Bread Baking Workshop was held at the Campden and Chorleywood Food Research Association (CCFRA) in March. The workshop was attended by delegates from Spain, Portugal, Italy, Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia.

"Particularly popular amongst the delegates were the blends of uks wheats (nabim Group 3 varieties)," said Emma Finn. "These are well regarded overseas and the UK needs to continue to produce these wheats if it wants to maintain its position on the export market."

This year the workshop was also attended by plant breeder Nickersons, who have several of their varieties included in the uks brand.

"Almost all grain exported under the uks brand is used in bread making. Older uks varieties such as Claire are still in great demand overseas because the flour they produce has just the right balance of extensibility and strength for this purpose. Newer, higher yielding varieties such as Zebedee have similar baking properties for the export market. However, Alchemy has become hugely popular with UK growers and this variety, in common with other soft nabim group 4 types, has weaker gluten properties and will therefore only be suitable as part of a blend," said Ian Foot of Nickersons.

"Nickerson are actively breeding for all market sectors but have a particular desire to develop successful varieties in the Claire mould and currently have promising candidates in trial."

The ukp and uks export brands were introduced in November 2004 to make it easier for international buyers to understand and purchase UK milling wheat.

"It is good to see that uks wheats are maintaining their popularity with our overseas customers," said George Forbes, British Cereal Exports chairman. "The Bread Baking Workshop gives us a great opportunity to prove the suitability of UK wheats for the international market and to promote the export brands."

There will be an on-line forum on the HGCA website including results from the workshop, delegate comments and photographs of the breads baked. The forum will go live on Monday 30 April at www.hgca.com/bbw

Release date: 13 April 2007

Emma Finn, HGCA Marketing Manager, 020 7520 3928 emma.finn@hgca.com

Madeleine Archer, HGCA Press Officer, 020 7520 3926 madeleine.archer@hgca.com