Bakers Allinson’s has signed up chef Valentine Warner to be the face of the brand and will be fringing a new campaign that aims to educate the public on how to make use of bread beyond the humble sandwich.

Famed for his non-traditional provincial style of cooking, Warner will be creating inventive recipes and videos for Allinson’s, which was established in 1892 by pioneering baker Thomas Allinson, using the brand’s Champion Wholemeal and Scandalous Seeds Wholemeal loaves as part of the trade and consumer push.

The Northampton Chronicle reports that the collaboration comes on the back of a survey of 2,000 consumers from Allinson’s which has revealed that Brits are turning away from ‘boring lunches’, and seeking out ‘ready open sandwiches’ and bruschetta and that 41 per cent of shoppers are interested in trying new things.

Louise Crighton, an assistant brand manager at Allinson’s, said: “This is a pivotal moment for Allinson’s, sharing our story with consumers in a way that we have never done before

“The aim is to reinforce our proposition as a bridge between wrapped bread and in-store bakery, championing our batch baked loaf and great tasting wholemeal recipe, that has helped Allinson’s to become the UK’s no 1 premium wholemeal bread brand.”

Warner added: “Thinking outside the box, or the bread bin perhaps, will take lunch into extraordinary new places, especially when we have more foods to experiment with than ever before. The versatility of bread means it can be used for so much more than the obvious.”

According to Nielsen figures to the end of May, the premium bread category is thriving – up 5 per cent year on year, as more consumers seek craft-style loaves.