Britain’s Best Loaf is Real Bread (again)

Basque-esque baguettes. Copyright: Imma the Bakery

Published: Wednesday 15 April 2026

A baguette made by Real Bread Campaign supporter Imma The Bakery has been crowned Britain’s Best Loaf 2026.

From 200 entries, a baguette called Cantabric Ogi (Cantabrian Bread) won the international category and the overall prize.

British Baker quoted Imma The Bakery owner and head baker, Tona Erreguin, saying her baguette is inspired by a late 20th century recipe from the Basque region next to the Cantabrian Sea.

British Baker reported the: ‘impressive stick wowed the category judges thanks to good looks and great eating experience’. ‘…they praised the “beautifully golden crust, lovely open crumb, and delightful taste” all created from a simple ingredients list of water, wheat flour, rye flour and salt.’

The other category-winning loaves crafted by Campaign supporters were:

Seeded Sourdough: Multiseed Sourdough by MOST Bakery
Innovation: Breadso Sesame Loaf by Imma the Bakery
White: Sherston Loaf by Hobbs House Bakery

Real Bread Campaign coordinator Chris Young said: 'Congratulations to our supporters, and any other Real Bread bakers, whose work was honoured in this year’s competition!'

The full list of winners and more details can be found on the British Baker website.

Invitation

We invite every bakery business that makes at least one additive-free bread to add your details to the free Real Bread Map and we encourage you to sign up to The Real Bread Loaf Mark scheme.

Whether or not you make Real Bread, we invite everyone to JOIN the Campaign in support of our charity's work.

See also

News • Real Bread Campaign

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Chris Young
Campaign Coordinator
Real Bread Campaign

Chris Young has coordinated the Real Bread Campaign since March 2009. In addition to lobbying for an Honest Crust Act of better loaf composition, labelling and marketing laws in the UK; he created and runs initiatives including: Sourdough September; Real Bread Week; Real Bread For All; Together We Rise, promoting therapeutic/social benefits of bread making; No Loaf Lost surplus reduction guidance; and Lessons in Loaf for schools. He’s the author of the Knead to Know…more microbakery handbook, Slow Dough: Real Bread recipe book and Bake Your Lawn grow-a-loaf guidebook; and edits True Loaf magazine.

From 2014-18, Chris also coordinated Sustain's London Food Link network, which included editing The Jellied Eel magazine and helping to launch and run the Urban Food Awards with the Mayor of London’s office. Chris has pulled on his judge’s wig for BOOM Awards, The Cateys, The Great Taste Awards, The Scottish Bread Championship and The World Bread Awards. In 2017, The School of Artisan Food honoured Chris with its first Fellowship, and in 2025 he was named joint Person of The Year by Slow Food in The UK.

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