A small independent bakery in Chesterfield is celebrating after winning both Britain’s Best Plain Sourdough 2026 and Britain’s Best Flavoured Sourdough 2026 at the Britain’s Best Loaf awards. The competition is organised by baking industry publication, British Baker.
Peak & Stone Bakery, run by husband and wife team Tom and Emily Martin, took home the two trophies from the NEC Birmingham on April 13. The panel of experts assessed more than 200 loaves from bakeries nationwide.
Every loaf, in the eight categories, was judged anonymously and assessed on external appearance, internal structure, aroma, taste and mouthfeel, ensuring the winners truly represent the very best of British baking. Judhes deemed Peak & Stone’s Stanedge Country Sourdough the finest in the Plain Sourdough category.
It is named after the famous Derbyshire millstones of the Peak District and made using a slow 48-hour fermentation process and the bakery’s eight-year-old sourdough starter, affectionately named Geoff after Tom’s grandad. Judges described the loaf as delivering ‘everything you’d want from a sourdough’, praising its flavour, structure and overall quality.
Peak & Stone’s Cheese, Chilli & Sundried Tomato Sourdough was named the winner of the Flavoured Sourdough category. Made with mature Cheddar, pickled jalapeños and sundried tomatoes, it was described by judges as a ‘really exceptional loaf’, praised for its brilliant texture, balanced flavour and striking appearance.
Emily said: “As a husband and wife team, winning both of these national awards means the absolute world to us and our little bakery. We’re incredibly proud and honestly still a little shocked.
“We’re so grateful to our customers who support us week in, week out. Without them, achievements like this simply wouldn’t be possible.” Despite competing with much larger bakeries nationwide, the couple bake all their sourdough themselves in small batches using traditional long-fermentation methods.
Editor of British Baker, Amy North, said: “We received a record-breaking number of entries this year, so our judges definitely had their work cut out for them to find the winners. Their expertise and attention to detail paid off and we have a stellar line-up of worthy winners.,”