BISHOP'S Frome bakery Peter Cooks Bread has achieved the top award of three stars at The Great Taste Awards 2018 for their Spelt and Honey Sour.

The loaf is made over three days, with a blend of organic white and whole-wheat spelt flour, Malvern Hills spring water, Herefordshire honey, toasted sunflower seeds and sea salt.

Feedback from the expert judging panel: “This loaf is one of the most attractive loaves we have ever seen. So much work has gone into this and it was worth every moment.

"On cutting the crust is crisp and there are plenty of large air bubbles in a spongy crumb. The nuttiness is delicious with the honey coming through gently (particularly in the darker baked crust). “It is a loaf that would be the perfect vehicle from everything from cheese to good butter to honey to jam. We would like to take it on a picnic with a freshly roasted chicken and some good wine then just rip it apart with our bare hands!"

Shona Kelly, co-director of Peter Cooks Bread, said: “We couldn’t be happier with this recognition for our Real Bread. A lot of time and effort goes into each and every loaf, and awards like this help to make it all worthwhile.”

The Ledbury Loaf is the bakery’s bestselling loaf. It is made over three days, with all that is needed in a loaf of bread: organic white flour, sea salt, water and a tiny amount of yeast. The long fermentation provides each loaf with a natural depth of flavour. It also means the gluten in the flour has the chance to break down making it much easier to digest, compared to commercially processed alternatives.