Hovis in Brand partnership with health focused start-up Modern Baker

Hovis has announced a new, exclusive brand licensing agreement with Modern Baker.

The agreement will run for three years and will see the brands working together on the manufacture, development and distribution of unique new bakery products.

Hovis has worked with the Oxford based start-up since April 2023 focusing on the product development, manufacture and distribution of the Modern Baker Superloaf and Super Bakery franchise across the UK and Ireland. 

The partnership has enabled Modern Baker to work with the Hovis R&D team to develop and bake its unique gut-health loaf at scale, to launch the secret recipe nationwide. The new licensing agreement is a natural progression for Hovis, utilising almost over 140 years of experience in bread making and market leading innovation to launch new products that complement its existing portfolio.  

Modern Baker is known for its ‘health-plus’ approach and the new agreement will see the brands working together to create new bread recipes that appeal to the health-conscious consumer.

Jon Jenkins, CEO of Hovis said: ‘The new licensing agreement is an exciting step for Hovis. Our brand has been at the forefront of new innovation for the last 140 years and we see strong potential for continual growth and the development of new variants with Modern Baker.

‘We know that today’s consumer is increasingly interested in health and gut health and we look forward to working with Modern Baker to grow the current range and innovate with new fantastic tasting products.’

Modern Baker’s co-founder, Melissa Sharp, said: ‘Superloaf is the result of six years of nutrition innovation, and this licence agreement with Hovis is a huge opportunity to make a health-positive impact on the UK’s staple food at scale. Hovis is a brand synonymous with quality, not to mention a national treasure, and therefore the obvious partner for our ambition to place the UK at the centre of nutrition innovation.’