Public Health England (PHE) set new targets for manufacturers to reduce sugar by 20% by 2020. With innovation as one of our key values, we have refined a number of technologies to allow us to produce a lower sugar cake blend to help our customers meet these targets and reduce the amount of sugar in their cakes.

Available in our popular Plain Crème Cake mix, this blend makes a cake that has 14.5% sugar, which is 36% less than our standard Crème Cake mix. This allows bakers to decorate the cakes as they would do usually, without compromise and still have 30% reduction in sugar, in comparison to a standard equivalent cake. With excellent structure and flavour, the blend has no artificial sweeteners or oligosaccharide complications. We can also offer cake mixes that are flavoured for those seeking variety.

Kells also offers bespoke blends, which can be based on a customer recipe, but using Kells’ technologies to achieve the required sugar reduction. For more information, contact the team or follow us on LinkedIn.

For Kells, our key considerations are always quality alongside taste and provenance, which is why in 2016 we began a collaboration with local farmer, Thomas Butlers. Just a stone’s throw from our mill on the banks of the rive Nore in Co Kilkenny, Thomas Butlers Farm in Bennettsbridge has very successfully been growing heritage grains including Ølands Wheat for Kells.

Ølands Wheat produces an exceptional quality flour, which is sold under Kells’ Little Mill brand. The flours unique properties allow bakers and chefs to offer extra special and flavoursome breads, such as sourdough and yeasted breads, as well as delicious pizza bases – a takeaway food that seems to have grown significantly in popularity in recent weeks.
In April, Thomas planted our largest crop yet, doubling the amount on last year, to meet the ever-growing demand for this unique and flavoursome flour.

Harvesting will take place in August, after which we will start the milling process. First, we dry the crop down using a grain dryer, which stops it from spoiling and gives a longer storage time. The grain is then milled using Kells’ traditional stone mill into a white flour. This process delivers all the great flavour characteristics of stone milling while complementing the natural flavour of the Ølands Wheat.

First grown on the Swedish island of Øland nearly 6,000 years ago, this ancient grain produces an exceptional type of flour that has a high protein content and high falling numbers, two very important elements for making yeast or sourdough leavened bread. Kells is one of the first to mill and offer Ølands Wheat for yeast bread in Ireland.

You can find more information on our Little Mill Native Ølands Plur – product code 2185 on the Kells webshop. To keep up to date on the progress of our Ølands Wheat crop, follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

I think we would all agree that the last few weeks have been a challenging time for everyone and our thoughts have been with all our suppliers and customers. Personally, I am very grateful that the Kells team are all well and whilst its certainly been different, it has been very much business as usual.

As we very slowly begin to emerge from lockdown, I thought it might be helpful to recap on how we can support your business.

We continue to stock a wide range of flours and have bread and cake mixes for those who are seeking quick and easy options, as well as seeds, flakes and proving baskets to help with your current baking needs.

You can send us an email where we’ll be able to help and support you with your request. We are also continuing to deliver product across Ireland.

If there is anything else we can help with please let us know.

In the meantime, you can also keep up to date with Kells on LinkedIn.

Beautiful cakes are a popular choice on Mother’s Day and at Kells, we can help you to create a range of delicious cakes that everyone will be proud to serve.

The Kells Crème Cake blends offer an exceptional selection of fantastic flavoured cakes including Lemon, Chocolate, Coffee, Elderflower and Raspberry and Cream to allow you to make your own fabulous cakes that you can decorate as simply or as elaborately as you choose.

Kells’ range also includes the 3206 Kells Complete Sponge and 3213 Kells Sponge Blend which deliver a lighter sponge cake and can be decorated with fresh cream and fruits.

If you’re planning to create a more elaborately decorated cake, the 3212 Genoese style cake blend gives a very strong and robust crumb that doesn’t crumble on cutting, making it ideal for specialist celebration cake work.

Whatever the occasion, Kells has a wide range to choose from and can make any type of cake achievable and profitable.

To help you build your range of cakes, just ask Kells for details or follow us on LinkedIn.      

Fibre is key to a healthy balanced diet, but most of us don’t eat enough of this important nutrient. The daily recommendation for adults is 30g of fibre a day, but most are only eating an average of 18g.¹

By upping your fibre intake to just 25-29g it can potentially help to prevent a number of health issues including heart disease, type-2 diabetes and bowl cancer. It can also assist with the management of blood pressure, cholesterol levels² and help to keep the digestive system moving and promote healthy gut bacteria.

The good news is that it can be relatively easy to add more fibre into the diet by simply eating more bread! All bread is a source of fibre but wholemeal bread is a particularly good source. At Kells, we have created a range of blends that use wheat bran – for added fibre. Wheat bran contains on average 40% fibre which is one of the highest levels of fibre of any cereal. When made into delicious breads, bakers can offer a high fibre claim to their customers – who are increasingly looking for breads with benefits.

These blends include:

In addition, Kells have a wide range of bread blends and wholemeal flours, that are also sources of fibre, that bakers can use for their own recipes. Ask Kells for more information on their range of bread blends and to find out more about the additional health benefits they offer. You can also follow us on LinkedIn.

References

1. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-get-more-fibre-into-your-diet/
2. www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)31809-9/fulltext

After the festive period, Easter is the next big seasonal opportunity for bakers to optimise on sales of cakes and bakes, including the ever popular Simnel Cake. This delicious rich fruit cake has a layer of marzipan baked in the centre with another thin layer on top. It is then decorated with 11 small balls of marzipan that are evenly spaced around the outer edge of the cake, to symbolise the apostles.

Originally Simnel Cakes were presented by girls in service to their mothers on Mothering Sunday (their one day off!), which was usually the fourth Sunday in Lent. Today this iconic cake is served on Easter Sunday across Ireland.

Although this cake does look very impressive, by using 3207 Kells Farmhouse Blend it is actually really easy to make – and is guaranteed to be a popular line in the run up to Easter. Simply mix the batter according to the blend instructions, spoon two-thirds of it into the cake tin, and place a marzipan layer in the centre. Top with the remaining batter and bake. Once cooked and cooled, brush with jam glaze and top with a marzipan circle and balls.

Easter wouldn’t be Easter without Hot Cross Buns, which many bakers say is their most popular line over Easter – which means that to meet the demand, it’s important to have a fail-safe recipe that is quick and easy to make.

The 3901 Kells Bap Blend does exactly that – and can also be readily adapted so you can ring the changes to make a whole host of variations, from spicy to even chocolate Hot Cross Buns.

For more information, click HERE.

For further details on our cake blends, just ask Kells. You can also follow us on LinkedIn to keep up to date on all our seasonal offerings.