Marks and Spencer is turning its unsold fresh bakery loaves into frozen garlic bread (Image: Getty)
Marks and Spencer has made a major change to its bread sold in 200 of its UK stores as part of its aim to halve food waste.
The retailer is turning its unsold fresh bakery loaves into frozen garlic bread, which can then be bought from freezers in selected stores. Daily-baked baguettes and boules that haven’t been purchased by the end of the day will be cut and filled with creamy garlic butter before being frozen, instead of being thrown away.
Shoppers can choose from a selection of loaves, including sourdough, baguettes and West Country cheddar and red Leicester garlic cob, which have an extended shelf-life of 30 days. The frozen garlic bread products are priced at £1 for a baguette or £1.80 for a twin pack, and £2 for a garlic boule, and are now available in 200 M&S stores across the UK following a successful trial in eight stores.
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M&S said the “reinvented” products are part of its 2030 goal to halve food waste. The items are also sold in 100% widely recycled packaging, made from translucent paper or paper with a small plastic window, to help customers recycle more.
M&S highlighted the frozen garlic bread loaves in a post on its Instagram page last week, stating: “Turning our unsold bakery loaves into something tasty! In need of some fresh garlic bread to pair with dinner tonight?
“In selected stores we take our daily-baked baguettes and boules that are not sold by the end of the day and fill them with creamy garlic butter and freeze them, ready for you to take home and tuck into!
“Choose from our classic garlic baguettes, to sourdough and even our cheesy west country cheddar and red leicester garlic cob. Our frozen garlic breads from our in-store bakery are one of the ways we’re committed to reducing food waste in store. You can pick up one of our frozen garlic breads NOW in selected stores!”
Throughout the trial period, M&S tested the entire process from behind the scenes operations to customer engagement and following a positive response, it is now featuring shelf-edge signage to engage customers on the food waste reduction concept across all 200 stores.
David Moon, head of business collaboration at WRAP, added: “Bread is the second most wasted food item in the home, with around one million loaves thrown away every day.
“As a short shelf-life item, bread can also become surplus at the end of trading. This initiative from M&S is a simple solution to a real problem that turns a surplus item into a brand-new product to be enjoyed anew, and stops food being wasted.
“We welcome the large-scale introduction by M&S, a signatory to Courtauld 2025, and the clear messaging the retailer is giving to shoppers that every effort is being made to avoid food going to waste. Freezing bread in the home is an excellent way to add new life to loaves.”
The frozen garlic baguettes and boules are available to buy in 200 M&S stores (Image: Marks and Spencer)
Listed are the 200 Marks and Spencer stores now selling frozen garlic bread loaves: