Being based in Gloucestershire, Anna Baker Cakes has access to some of the best quality, locally sourced ingredients. Food that has been grown, reared or produced in the Gloucestershire area has a wide range of benefits to local baking and catering businesses.

Benefits of Buying Local

Buying and using local food when baking in the Cotswolds, not only supports the local area and economy, it is better for the environment, with reduced packaging and transport costs. Produce does not have to travel as far which can sometimes mean it is fresher, in addition to keeping the carbon footprint as minimal as possible. Locally sourced items can be attractive to consumers and businesses like Anna Baker Cakes, as there is an understanding of where the item has originated from and how it has been processed. Local food is also very seasonal, by using ingredients that are seasonal it guarantees a certain freshness as items have not had to be frozen or stored for long periods in transit. When discussing catering and baking requirements, Anna can recommend fresh ingredients that are in season to compliment any occasion.

Locally sourced ingredients can be found all over the place. Farm shops in particular are a great base for all things local. Fruit and vegetables grown nearby, meat reared in local farms, free range eggs, flour and cheese. All ingredients used in baking and catering. Even some supermarkets sell locally produced items, often labelled with the origin location for marketing purposes as it is appealing to many customers.

All over the country there are farmer’s markets selling local produce, the Cotswolds in particular is a very productive area for agriculture and it is well known for the range of quality foods available.

Sourcing Local Ingredients

When looking to purchase locally sourced ingredients there are several things that you can do:

• Find farmer’s markets, where and when are they in your area?
• Visit a farm shop.
• Use local services such as the milkman, you are not only supporting a local business but also reusing glass bottles rather than plastic ones.
• Check the origin labels on items at the supermarket to see where the item was produced.

Fresh from the Farm

The Gloucestershire countryside is home to many farms. Wheat is grown and harvested to make flour, a key ingredients for most of the cake making that Anna Baker does! Other popular items from farms are eggs, fresh fruit, vegetables and meat. Many farms now are open to the public to see the farm animals, pick your own fruit and vegetables and generally just explore how a farm operates. This in turn provides a greater understanding and awareness of local produce and the quality of it.

By purchasing direct from the farm, or via their local outlet, customers can be assured of the freshness and more often than not, that the produce is organic. Organic food is claimed to be more nutritious and not subject to any type of chemicals such as pesticides or fertilisers. It is also considered better for the environment. There is often the misconception that local, organic food is expensive. This is not necessarily the case, many times consumers pay a premium on products as they have had costly transportation and preparation methods to arrive at the shelves in the supermarket. Local produce doesn’t have that.

Glorious Gloucestershire and the Culinary Cotswolds

Being based in the beautiful Cotswolds not only offers inspiration for baking and catering, but it also offers a wide range of locally produced cheese, meat, fruit, vegetables, fish and much more. Sourcing quality ingredients in the Gloucestershire surroundings is quite literally – a piece of cake!

For all your baking and catering needs, using quality local ingredients, get in touch with Anna Baker cakes today.