The survey found that 79 per cent of Ontarians eat bread every day. In spite of the common perception on the part of many dieters that bread is fattening, the survey found that more than half the Ontarians surveyed are not fooled, with 51 per cent citing the convenience and healthiness of bread as their number one reason for choosing it as part of their daily diet. Nutrition was a more important factor for women (46 per cent) than men (38 per cent) and for those aged 50+ (51 per cent) than for those under the age of 49 (37 per cent).

And not only do Ontarians eat bread almost everyday - they're very adventurous about the types of bread they eat, with 69 per cent choosing "almost any kind of bread" on a regular basis.

"Ontario's taste in bread is clearly evolving," notes Linda Haynes, Co-owner and Co-founder of ACE Bakery, an artisan bakery based in Toronto. "When we began in 1993 we made eight different kinds of breads. Today we're baking 17 breads and some of our most popular sellers have been specialty breads like baguette and cranberry focaccia."

In addition, health-conscious Ontarians - especially those aged 18-29 - are choosing more organic foods today than they have in previous years, with bread being the third most common product when buying organic products.

"People are not only becoming more adventurous with food, but increasingly, more people are also looking for organic food choices," comments Haynes. "We've developed a special Organic White Oval for our tenth anniversary in response to the consumer's growing desire for healthy, specialty organic food choices."

As Ontarians continue to make healthy food choices, convenience and versatility still rank high as factors influencing eating habits. In fact, 41 per cent of respondents aged 18-49 cited "versatility" as one of their top three reasons for eating bread.

While Ontarians are adventurous in their choices of breads, some traditional behaviors still dominate Ontarians' food choices, as evidenced by the survey findings that the two most popular ways to eat bread are as a sandwich (95 per cent) or toast (92 per cent). However, the survey also found that a surprising one-in-ten respondent said they eat bread as part of dessert. Similarly, the most common condiments eaten with bread are butter, jam and peanut butter, except with the younger set; approximately 33 per cent of Ontarians aged 18-29 were more likely to eat other spreads such as humus and olive oil on their bread.

ACE Bakery opened in 1993 as an artisan bakery creating hand-made European style rustic breads. The gentle shaping of each loaf, long fermentation periods and a stone deck oven all work to create exceptionally flavourful products with a chewy, moist texture and crisp crust. The breads contain no preservatives and are made with the best ingredients.

ACE Bakery sells bread to more than 500 of Ontario's finest restaurants, hotels, caterers and gourmet food shops. In 2003, ACE Bakery is proud to celebrate ten years of baking superior artisan breads. In addition, the company donates ten per cent of its net profits to charitable organizations in the principle centres where ACE breads are sold. ACE's focus is on food and nutrition programs that assist low-income members of the community.

For more information visit the website at www.acebakery.com.

The Strategic Counsel, an independent, non-partisan Canadian research study firm, conducted the ACE Bakery Tenth Anniversary Bread Survey. Throughout January, it explored Ontarians eating habits and bread preferences. The survey was conducted across Ontario by telephone, among a proportionately representative, random sample of 500 Ontario residents. The results are accurate within +/- 4.38 per cent, 95 times out of 100.

For more information, contact ACE Bakery, 416/241-3600, bread@acebakery.com.


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