UK wheat proves its export credentials
suitability for all types of baking was demonstrated at this year's
International Bread Baking workshop organised by the Home Grown
Cereals Authority (HGCA).
HGCA marketing manager Emma Finn said: "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 workshop, organised in conjunction with the Campden and Chorleywood Food Research Association (CCFRA) was held in the UK to boost the profile of the ukp and uks wheat export brands. Uks wheat is a soft variety for biscuit making and suitable for blending with high protein wheats while ukp is a semi-hard wheat used for bread making. Classifying wheat into these varieties was first implemented in 2004 to help international buyers to understand exactly what they were purchasing. According to the HGCA average export availability of UK wheat is between 3 and 5 million tonnes each year. Most is purchased by EU buyers but, with greater competition making for a more difficult trading environment, UK growers are now looking to sell further afield. The baking workshop invited representatives from Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco to engage in practical sessions, baking national products with UK wheat. Finn said: "Particularly popular amongst the delegates were the blends of uks wheats (nabim group 3 varieties). 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."
