BREAD from the UK is being imported by Alliance.

The supermarket has started stocking varieties of the Kingsmill brand. ‘I think it’s time there was some competition in the island,’ said Alliance owner Chris Fish.

‘From what people have said, since the Warry’s takeover the quality of the produce is perceived to have gone down and the price has increased.’

But the cost of the imported bread is more than 10p higher than its locally-produced equivalent.

Paul Luxon – the managing director of Cimandis, a division of CI Traders – said the company had ensured that any price increase had been kept to a minimum. ‘I want to reassure our customers that, if anything, the quality of our bread has increased and we have a bigger range of products than ever.

‘We still sell Alliance bread and have done so for many years without any complaint. It’s not really much competition, because our bread is cheaper.’

Chairman of the Guernsey Consumer Group Roy Bisson said there had always been a good argument for local production of bread.

‘But consumers should welcome the opportunity for added choice in terms of quality and price,’ he added.

‘However, the time it takes between the imported bread being baked and arriving on the shelf is much longer than locally-produced bread. It will be interesting to see if it is sustainable.’