Our story
British Baking Since 1880.
Since 1880, Be-Ro has been at the heart of Great British Baking, providing quality products to help you realise your baking dreams.
Where it all began
Thomas Bell founded a wholesale grocery firm near the Tyne quays and railway station in Newcastle in the 1880s. Among his top-selling brands were ‘Bells Royal’ baking powder and a self raising flour. Following the death of Edward VII, it became illegal to use the Royal name. As a result, Bell decided to take the first couple of letters from the each of the two words of the brand name and turn them into the more catchy sounding ‘Be-Ro’.
Raising expectations
In the early 1920s, the most commonly used type of flour was plain flour. Self-raising flour was more expensive and considered a novelty – consumers bought plain flour direct from the miller and self-raising flour was only sold into independent grocers.
In a bid to make self-raising flour more popular among the general public, the company staged a series of exhibitions in the early 1920s where freshly baked scones, pastries and cakes were sold for a shilling to visitors. These were so popular that people demanded to have copies of the recipes so that they could bake the dishes at home.
Benevolent Be-Ro
As a result, a free recipe book was produced and handed out at the exhibitions as well as door to door. The Be-Ro cookbook contained recipes to feed hungry families on a very low budget.
They soon became an essential part of a young woman’s education in running a home and feeding a family. Consequently, the recipe books achieved their objective of making Be-Ro the best known flour in the North.
Buy the Be-Ro Recipe Book
First published in 1923, and now in its 41st edition, the “Be-Ro” recipe book is arguably one of the best-selling cookery books ever, with more than thirty eight million copies having been sold. The latest edition is packed with even more inspiring dishes together with a brand new “quick and easy” section which even the novice baker can follow.
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Buy the Be-Ro Book
Plain Flour
Fill your kitchen with the comforting scent of home bakes, lovingly made with Be-Ro Plain Flour. Pre-sifted and milled from carefully selected wheats, it’s the store cupboard essential you’ll reach for again and again. Perfect for baking, it can be used for everything from Sunday Yorkshire puddings to pancakes, fruit cakes, shortbreads, sauces, gravies, and more.
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Self Raising Flour
From light and fluffy sponges to classic scones and crumbly shortcrust pastry, create a host of delicious bakes using Be-Ro Self-Raising Flour. We’ve been making high-quality flour for over 100 years, milled using carefully selected UK wheats.
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