The Source

Coughlans Bakery in Oxted celebrated British Food Fortnight on Friday with a day-long promotion of the fresh produce ingredients in its handmade artisan products.   

Regular customers and passers-by on the Surrey town’s high street were invited to sample whatever fruit and veg took their fancy, as well as delicious Coughlans specialities such as Heritage Tomato and Basil Pesto Flat Breads and Vegan Sausage Rolls.

The Coughlans have been artisan bakers since Grandad Jack founded the business in 1937 and now in their third generation, the family strives daily to bring the freshest, handmade artisan products to their 26 bakeries, using local suppliers, many of whom they have worked with for decades to ensure quality and consistency.

As well as premium flour, locally milled, Coughlans uses all manner of British-grown fresh produce to add unique flavour profiles to its range of pies, pastries, breads, cakes and rolls and as well as using Grandad Jack's original recipes, there is a desire to bring out new and exciting products every week. 

DDP Ltd, which supplies Coughlans chain of stores daily with seasonal fruit and vegetables from New Covent Garden Market, in Nine Elms, London, was on hand to support the occasion in Oxted with its traditional market porter’s barrow and a wide and varied array of British fruit and vegetables.

“We are passionate about working with the seasons where possible and the best British ingredients, whether it be our premium flour, milled less than 40 miles away from the bakery or our daily hand-selected fresh produce from New Covent Garden Market,” said Sean Coughlan. “You only have to visit one of our bakeries to see how passionate we are about everything 'baking' and we are immensely proud to be at the heart of all our local communities.”

The fruit and vegetable map

The list of products Coughlans buys at this time of the year is a real geography lesson on the major growing regions of England. It consists of: herbs from Surrey; apples from Kent; strawberries and rhubarb from Yorkshire; Wiltshire-grown leeks; mushrooms. Micro-herbs and carrots from Norfolk; Lincolnshire onions and carrots; heritage tomatoes from Sussex; Cambridgeshire iceberg lettuce, rocket, celery, squash and beetroot; potatoes and cucumbers from Hertfordshire, potatoes from Essex, parsnips from Suffolk; Worcestershire courgettes; kale and cabbage from Lancashire.

“People might think of us first and foremost as bakers and that wouldn’t necessarily bring fresh fruit and vegetables to mind,” says Sean. “But the amazing array of British produce we get from DDP is one of the key elements of our success. Our customers love to know that we’ve got British growers at the heart of what we do and they love the taste sensations that they get when they bite into the breads, cakes, pastries and pies we make with British ingredients.”

From seed to bakery

So, just how does a British product end up in Coughlans Heritage Tomato and Basil Pesto Flatbread? We asked Paul to tell us a bit more about Nutbourne Tomatoes, grown in Pulborough, Sussex. “Nutbourne Nursery is a family business run by Gary and Jenny Griffiths, just 54 miles from Central London.  They are growers of speciality and heritage tomatoes, with a season that generally runs from Spring through to late Autumn.  All Nutbourne tomatoes are insecticide-free and only natural predators are used for biological control; pollination is carried out by bees,” he said.

Nutbourne cultivates a huge range of tomatoes such as the bite-sized 'Coeur de Pigeon' ('Pigeon Heart') and larger 'Coeur de Boeuf' ('Ox Heart').  They took a big gamble growing a diverse range of heritage and innovative varieties and it paid off.  The team put their heart and soul into it, and it is reflected in how amazing they look and taste.  Chefs absolutely love them.”

The vines, which can reach 30ft long, are trained up wires which can be moved backwards and forwards allowing for easier harvesting and control of the plants' exposure to light.  “The highly skilled team pick three times a week, with deliveries to a range of wholesalers on the market, distributors across England and local shops,” said Paul.

“Gary drives the tomatoes to London himself. Their core strength really is picking and shipping. They don't have any tomatoes going into cold stores.  Similarly to DDP, for Gary and Jenny it is about attention to detail, from beginning to end.

“If you get the chance to visit Nutbourne,  I recommend it.  It's a fantastic operation.”

Coughlans Bakery has bought its seasonal fresh produce direct from  DDP Ltd, London's leading supplier of top quality food and veg, at New Covent Garden Market every night for 25+ years and is championing British Food Fortnight and the Love British Food campaign at its Oxted store.

New Covent Garden Market is an Official Partner of Love British Food.