A student in Lancaster who launched the world’s first ‘wonky’ bread box subscription model has added naan bread to his range of rescued baked goods.

British Baker reports that 20-year-old James Eid, who is studying business at Lancaster University, founded Earth & Wheat in March and has enjoyed huge success with subscribers signing up in their droves to his surplus bread distributor company.

So far, he has rescued 30,000kg of wonky bread, which otherwise would have been thrown away to due its appearance, size, or overproduction. He has now expanded his range bio include plain and garlic flavoured garlic naans.

James said: “Naan breads tend to be a highly wonky bread product because they have to be hand-crafted into a teardrop shape, which is one of the most recognisable characteristics of naan.”

He explained that the handcrafting of naan bread can lead to variations in size and shape, sometimes leading to wonky naans being rejected.

James is also a fourth-generation baker, and only in his second year at Lancaster University, and he believes that adding wonky naan breads to his boxes will help reduce food waste.

According to charity WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme), 900,000 tonnes of bread are thrown away in the UK every year – that’s around 20 million pieces of bread a day – and around four million pieces are discarded at the production stage, it has been estimated.

“I’m delighted we have added naans to our rescue range at Earth & Wheat. It means we can fight food waste at the production source before the naans even reach the shops. We will continue to fight food waste with everyone’s help – one wonky box at a time,” James said.

Earth & Wheat customers can subscribe weekly, fortnightly, every three weeks, or monthly for as little as £6.89 (for weekly subscriptions) including free express fresh delivery.

Every box is packed with a mixed selection of ultra-fresh ‘wonky’ crumpets, pancakes, tortillas, pittas, focaccias, Greek-style flatbreads and naan breads. For every box saved, Earth & Wheat also donates a meal to UK food banks to help fight food poverty.