Challah and sliced rye bread from Buckingham Boulangerie which is sold in Waitrose stores have been certified as kosher by the London Beth Din Kashrut Division.

"This is great news for kosher consumers," said kashrut director Rabbi Jeremy Conway.

Buckingham Boulangerie owner Robert Simon claimed: "We now have the largest distribution of kosher bread in the country with it being stocked in 200 stores. The quality is very high, with no additives or colours."

A Waitrose representative said its kosher provision was "an important section", responding to customer demand.