A new loaf of designer bread has hit the shelves of several upmarket branches of supermarket chain Waitrose in London, and is proving popular despite costing nearly £10 (US$15.5).
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The brown Poilne sourdough loaf is extremely popular in south west France, where it was first made by master baker Pierre Poilne in 1932, but this is the first time it has been baked in Britain.
Described as “dense” and “chewy”, Waitrose has defended its £9.62 price tag saying that the 4lb loaves are handmade in Victoria, in central London, in a six-hour process. They keep fresh for about a week.
Waitrose spokesperson Sarah Speakman told the Daily Mail: “It’s going well at the moment, but we will have to see whether it is possible to expand it across the country.”
Celebrity fans include US actors Robert De Niro, James Coburn and Lauren Bacall, who have all forked out to have it flown across the Atlantic for their dinner tables.
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By GlobalDataA spokesman for top British chef Marco Pierre White meanwhile told the Daily Telegraph: “Marco uses it in all his restaurants because he thinks it’s a great product. It’s definitely worth the cost.”
