A brioche that had been infused with lemon and Earl Grey tea has taken out the title of Britain’s best loaf of bread.

Announced over the weekend, Kuma-San Bakehouse owner Miyo Aoetsu took home the top gong for the second time, after she won in 2023 for her green loaf flavoured with matcha, white chocolate and fruit.

Speaking with the BBC, Miyo said she was delighted with the award, which is run by British Baker.

“I was speechless when I won… I was very, very happy, I was almost screaming on that stage,” she said.

Judges said the loaf, which had beaten 200 other entries to the prize, had impressed them with its unique flavour profile featuring Earl Grey tea and limoncello-soaked candied lemon peel, combined with lemon curd and juice for a zesty aromatic finish.

Miyo shared with the BBC that the limoncello gave the loaf a kick, but the secret ingredient was in fact yuzu.

“In the last few years in Japan, the combination of Earl Grey tea and citrus fruits like lemon has been really trendy so people make a lot of cakes and cookies with these,” she said.

“So I started to think about making a bread with these combinations… I like the subtle aroma of tea when used in baking.”

Miyo said it had taken 45 loaves to perfect the recipe.

“I baked and baked and baked until I was confident it would be ready for the competition,” she said.

“[For my next creation] I’m interested in combining both Western and Japanese cultures in my baking… I’m experimenting all the time.”

Kuma-San Bakehouse is run out of Miyo’s house in Darley Dale, Derbyshire.