Mini-loaf tins

Here’s some interesting baking ephemera: a set of mini loaf tins impressed with the Hovis brand name. When I first saw them, I assumed that they were produced for promotional purposes, rather than for the mass production of pocket-sized loaves.

However, a little research revealed that Hovis have indeed, as long ago as the late 1800s, baked and sold mini-loaves. Although they aren’t currently available, they were revived a few years ago.

Each tin is about 8 by 5cm and 3cm deep, producing a loaf that will fit comfortably in the palm of your hand: almost bite-size. Here you see my childhood companion (now somewhat threadbare) helpfully providing some scale.

The tins sometimes appear for sale on Ebay, although if you’re more interested in baking miniature loaves than in the historical value of the Hovis originals, suitable tins are available from KitchenCraft,  amongst others.