Dear Rabbi Simon
A post-Pesach question: are we allowed to have fresh farm bread if no access to kosher bread?
Thanks,
Brad
Dear Brad
Thank you for your question. In certain countries (such as France, Switzerland and elsewhere) baguettes and similar are baked without objectionable additives or even release agents such as oil or shortening which may be animal-derived. These bread-type items may therefore be purchased there. However this is not necessarily the case in the UK. For this reason I would not recommend farm fresh bread unless you are in a position to investigate thoroughly the production methods, including other food which may be baked in the same oven. (Of course this is often impractical to do.)
On the positive side, there are several nationally-distributed brands of bread which are definitely kosher. Even better, an excellent and widely available option is Cohens Bakery Challa (bearing the KLBD logo) sold in every Waitrose branch in the country. Possibly not as tasty as farm fresh or Grodzinski, but c’est la vie.
Best wishes
Rabbi Rashi Simon