Launch of the Real Bread Campaign membership scheme heralded by silly loaf songs

Do you care about the state of bread in Britain? On 14th September, the Real Bread Campaign is launching a new membership scheme for you.

Supported by the Big Lottery Fund, the Real Bread Campaign is a national movement encouraging the increased production and consumption of Real Bread in Britain and fighting against questionable industrial substitutes.

Chris Young of the Real Bread Campaign said: �This is the chance for professional and home bakers, millers, farmers, shopkeepers, educators, researchers, campaigners and passionate punters around the country to add their voices to the unified cry for Real Bread that is better for us, better for our communities and better for the planet.�

In addition to the knowledge that they are playing a part in this essential cause, Real Bread Campaign members will receive benefits including:

• Four issues of True Loaf, the exclusive quarterly magazine
• A membership card offering a wide range of discounts
• Access to the members' area of the Real Bread Campaign website, packed with additional extras
• The Real Baker-e, an online community where members can find and share supportive advice, ideas and information

Invitations to Real Bread networking events, including The Rise of Real Bread on 14th November
Exclusive member offers secured around the country so far include a free eco bag entitling holders to 10% off Real Bread from GAIL's London bakeries; baker's dozen loyalty cards for free loaves at The Old Farmhouse Bakery and Tigh Fuine; 10% off a course at Wild Yeast bakery; 10% off the mail order baker's box from Artisan Bread Organic; half price membership of Local Action on Food or London Food Link and discounts on Real Bread from bakeries such as Cinnamon Square and Cotton's Craft Bakery.

To celebrate the launch, the Real Bread Campaign is giving you the chance to win a year's free individual membership (worth �20), simply by tweeting the title of your favourite bread punning song. Think 'Loaf and Let Die,' 'Another Little Pitta my Heart,' etc. The winning entry will be picked from the #sillyloafsongs received @RealBread on Twitter between 14th and 30th September.

Full details of the campaign, membership scheme and competition can be found at http://www.realbreadcampaign.org/

The Real Bread Campaign: together we rise.

**ends**

For more information, please contact Chris Young or Richard Watts at the Real Bread Campaign on: realbread@sustainweb.org or 0203 5596 777

Notes to editors

The Real Bread Campaign is a not-for-profit initiative, co-ordinated by the UK charity Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming. Its aims are to encourage and support increased production and consumption of Real Bread in Britain.

By the campaign's basic definition, the only essential ingredients of Real Bread are flour, water, yeast (cultured or naturally occurring, though some flat breads don't even need yeast) and an optional small amount of salt. Any additional ingredients must be natural (e.g. seeds, nuts, cheese, herbs, vegetable oils, fats, dried fruits etc.) and naturally processed. The making of Real Bread does not involve the use of any artificial: additives, 'improvers', conditioners, preservatives, flavourings, colourings or processing aids.

We are:

Supporting bakers and other educators in sharing skills, experience, passion and knowledge with children, professional and home bakers to get Real Bread in our homes and on our high streets

Working with other organisations to make more Real Bread available in schools, public institutions and through local food co-operatives

Sharing the real values of Real Bread that have been lost, forgotten or hidden in the drive for an ever cheaper loaf at the cost of all else � great value does not have to mean worthless.

Bringing farmers, millers, bakers, shopkeepers and the rest of us closer together to create more sustainable grain chains

Campaigning for: support for local food systems and bread production that focuses on choice, flavour, health, nutrition and sustainability

Lobbying for Real Bread values to be supported by policies covering areas such as education, training, food labelling and nutritional guidelines

Stimulating research into making our bread better in terms of health, nutrition, the environment and society

Local Food: has been developed by a consortium of 16 national environmental organisations, and is managed on their behalf by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT). Supported by the Big Lottery Fund's Changing Spaces programme, Local Food will distribute grants to a variety of food related projects to make locally grown food more accessible. http://www.localfood.org/

The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT): is a registered charity, incorporated by Royal Charter, to promote conservation and manage environmental programmes throughout the whole of the UK. It has established management systems for holding and distributing funds totalling more than �20 million annually to environmental projects across the UK.

The Big Lottery Fund's Changing Spaces programme was launched in November 2005 to help communities enjoy and improve their local environments. The programme funds a range of activities from local food schemes and farmers markets, to education projects teaching people about the local environment.

The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been rolling out �2 million in Lottery good cause money every 24 hours to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK. http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/.

The Sheepdrove Trust also funds the Real Bread Campaign