Flowers Foods, who purchased the major Hostess bread brands including Home Pride Bread, had their annual shareholder meeting this week. I have been watching some of the presentations that they released and am looking forward to this company starting to produce and distribute my favorite bread.
Flowers Foods also announced a stock split and increased dividend just before they started the meeting on Wednesday. In the presentation they talked about their growth strategy. When their distribution expansion in northern California is complete later this summer they will distribute bread to 77% of the population of the US. They also reiterated that they have submitted to the Regulatory Commission and are hoping to gain approval in the second half of the year. I was hoping they would talk about when they would distribute Tastykakes and Nature’s Own bread in California, but it was not mentioned. Nature’s Own bread is one that I would like to try.
This week I have been running a head to head test between Rainbo Butter Top Wheat bread and Rainbo Butter Top White Bread.
I am still in the middle of the tests, so don’t have the results for you yet. However, I will tell you that I think I like the White better for toast.
I also saw another Rainbo Bread variety at the store today.
The one thing that I like about Flowers Foods is that they are introducing a nice variety of breads into their new distribution area. The Rainbo breads are labeled Earthgrains Baking Companies, but are distributed by Flowers Foods. The Sara Lee bread now in the stores here are labeled as being distributed by Flowers Foods.
I did buy a loaf of this bread and will start running it through the tests as well. I like the name. Rainbo Old Fashion Wheat Bread just sounds good. I will have to see if it does indeed taste good.
After trying this bread, it will make five Rainbo breads that I have tried. I may have to also go back and try some of the Sara Lee breads now that they are being distributed by Flowers Foods.
Here is the current scorecard for my bread testing.
The front runners are Rainbo Butter Top White, Rainbo Butter Top Wheat, Roman Meal Sungrain 100% Whole Wheat and Roman Meal Thin Sliced Sandwich Bread.
The breads that have not passed the test are Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat , Safeway’s Butter Top Wheat, Oroweat Soft Family 100% Whole Wheat, Oven Joy, Sara Lee Honey Wheat, Bimbo Soft Wheat Family, Cascade Pride Split Top Wheat , Oroweat simply 100% Whole Wheat, Open Nature 100% Whole Wheat Bread, Rainbo Wheat Bread and Rainbo White Bread.
You can click on the bread names above to visit the posts where I reviewed them.
Hopefully more details about Home Pride Bread will be released soon.
Steven
To see my other posts about bread or other Hostess products, click on Home Pride Bread.
Braman's Wanderings 
I miss u, Home Pride!
Rainbo is not distributed by Flowers. I am a indipendent operator for Flowers. We took over distribution of Sarah Lee bread (no breakfast or cakes) and Earth Grain but not rainbo. I encourage you to try Natures Own Butter top if you were a Home Pride eater. Many people in my territories have me ruined that they had made te switch and actually like the fact that its taste good and does not have high fructos corn syrup.
In California, Flowers is distributing Rainbo. As you know the distribution networks in the baking industry are very complex and not the same in all areas. The choice of Rainbo is probably based on the historic presence of the brand here.
I look forward to trying Nature’s Own Butter Top, but it is not yet available where I live. Flowers has just opened the territory here.
Negative Vanbraman. I too am a Flowers Distributor in northern CA. Rainbo is still owned by Bimbo bakeries and was NOTa part of the sale of Sara Lee to Flowers. Rainbo has been reintroduced and pushed hard by Bimbo in an effort to supplement the lost sales of Sara Lee product. They are also attempting to establish it as a replacement to Home Pride. Flowers and Bimbo are still battling over the purchase of Home Pride. Its possible it may not be back for months of even years due to the litigation process.
You may want to look at this press release from Flowers Foods. THOMASVILLE, Ga., Feb. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE: FLO) today announced the completion of its acquisition of the perpetual, exclusive, and royalty-free licenses to the Sara Lee and Earthgrains brands for sliced breads, buns, and rolls in the state of California from BBU, Inc., a subsidiary of Grupo Bimbo S.A.B. de C.V
Flowers Foods investor presentations and annual meeting presentations also mention the Earthgrains brand in California. The Rainbo breads that I have bought have Earthgrains shown on the package, so I have assumed that they are an Earthgrains brand. Also I have been told by one of the grocery stores that I visited that the Rainbo bread was delivered by Flowers Foods. The Rainbo bread also starting showing up in stores as Flowers Foods started distribution in my area.
I have only been going on the limited information I can find and also what I observe. I appreciate your feedback and will do additional research before my next post that mentions Rainbo.
Flowers has not taken over distribution yet in the greater bay area. If you live in this area the packaging may still say Earthgrains. Flowers will not assume control over the distribution until June 10th. That will complete the last phase of the changes in California.
Hi Steven – My name is Rachael and I work with Roman Meal Company. We’ve been following your quest to find a replacement for Home Pride bread and wanted to thank you for trying Roman Meal. We’d love to hear more of your feedback! We hope to hear from you soon!
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what happened to the incredibly soft and dense Rainbo bread we used to get
Looking for rainbo old fashion bread at Winco supermarket