Company Bakery has been awarded gold, silver and bronze at the British Baker ‘Britain’s Best Loaf 2026’ awards.

Natural Bread is an independent, family run artisan bakery in Oxford.

A spokesperson said: “We make all our own wonderful breads, rolls, bagels and pastries by hand, from scratch, and fresh every day in our Botley bakery without using additives.”

The bakery, which operates market stalls each weekend in and around Oxford, took home the top prize for its Brainy Tin Sourdough in the wholegrain category.

Its German Rye Sourdough won silver in the international category, while two breads,the Oxford Sourdough and Three Seed Sourdough, earned bronze in the plain and seeded sourdough categories.

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A spokesman for the bakery said: “Honestly, we feel so honoured and grateful.

“Every loaf our bakery team creates is a labour of love, slow-fermented, carefully crafted by hand, and baked fresh each and every day.

“And being able to share that with so many in our local community means everything to us.”

The bakery, which also supplies fresh bread and pastries to cafes and restaurants, has built a loyal following at its weekly markets.

One of the owners making the bread (Image: Natural Bread Bakery)

Regular customers can find Company Bakery at East Oxford Farmers Market, South Oxford Farmers Market, Wolvercote Community Market, and its pop-up shop at the Marcham Centre.

It also appears at Deddington Farmers Market on the fourth Saturday of each month and the Abingdon Local Excellence Market.

The spokesman said: “These markets are at the heart of what we do, and there’s nothing better than seeing familiar faces, and meeting new ones, over a loaf of our fresh bread or one of our hand crafted croissants.

“All of our hand-crafted artisan loaves are made using traditional methods, without any additives or preservatives. just simple, quality ingredients and time.”

Beyond its market stalls, Company Bakery delivers bread and pastries seven days a week to wholesale customers across Oxfordshire, including cafes, restaurants and shops.

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The spokesman said: “We couldn’t do any of this without our amazing bakery team.

“Their skill, care and dedication go into every single loaf, and we’re so lucky to have them.

“A huge thank you as well to all of our customers, both at the markets and wholesale, for supporting us week in, week out.”

The company also acknowledged its partnership with flour supplier Matthews Cotswold Flour, crediting the quality of its products to the use of “beautiful, high-quality local flour”.

The spokesman said: “If you haven’t visited us yet, we’d love to see you at one of the markets soon.

“There’s always something hand crafted and fresh out of the oven waiting for you.”

Local government reorganisation is set to come into force in April 2028, with elections for a temporary shadow authority or authorities taking place next year, 2027.

Today, May 7, voters in Oxford city and areas of Cherwell and West Oxfordshire will likely be the last to head to the polls under the two-tier system.

Currently, the running of services such as social care, roads, libraries and waste disposal by a county council, with five district and borough councils responsible for rubbish collection, housing and planning, and environmental health.

According to proposals made by the existing councils in November 2025, Oxfordshire will be divided into either one, two, or three unitary authorities, and the government is set to decide on this before the parliamentary summer recess in July of this year.

There was a consultation on plans, which ended on March 26.

The government has described its reasoning for the change.

A statement from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government states: “Our ambition is to simplify local government, ending the two-tier system and establishing new single-tier unitary councils that are responsible for all local government services in an area.”

The reorganisation also saw the potential for the postponement of today’s elections across 30 councils.

However, the government abandoned plans to hold off the polls after receiving advice from lawyers following a legal challenge from Reform UK.

Thames Valley Police’s Thame Neighbourhood Policing Team investigated a reported ‘recent increase in the anti-social use of off-road motorbikes’ in Chinnor and the surrounding area.

Reports from the public allowed police to identify three suspects and issue them cautions, a spokesperson for the force said on Thursday.

File photo of a police car and a motorcycle (Image: Thames Valley Police)

The spokesperson added: “The Thame Neighbourhood Policing Team have been conducting investigations into the recent increase in the anti-social use of off-road motorbikes in Chinnor and the surrounding area.

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“Thanks to information provided within reports from members of the public, three suspects involved in the incidents have been identified and served with notices under section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002.

“This means that if they drive anti-socially on any vehicle, or their vehicle is used for anti-social driving over the next 12 months then it can be seized during or after the incident has occurred.

“The Thame Neighbourhood Policing Team remain aware that this is an ongoing issue and encourage further reports of any future incidents seen, particularly where videos or photographs of the incident exists to enable identification, further enforcement and prosecution of suspects involved in anti-social use of off-road motorbikes.”

Any reports of anti-social behaviour can be made by contacting Thames Valley Police on 101 or making a report online. People are urged to call 999 in an emergency or if a crime is ongoing.