Retail chain recreates 2,000-year-old slice of Pompeii

A Kolkata-based retail chain has turned the clock back -- about 2,000 years -- to recreate a Roman bread popular in the historical city of Pompeii.

The Pompeiian bread or 'Panis Quadratus', a new offering from the multi-format retailer, was a staple in Pompeii city, destroyed during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

To celebrate the first 400 days of its Park Street store, Spencer's Retail, a part of the RP Sanjiv Goenka Group, will offer the Pompeiian bread to consumers for the next fortnight, it said in a release on Monday.

"Spencer's bakers have plans to delve deep into different types of breads," Sector Head Spencer's Retail, Shashwat Goenka, was quoted as saying in the release.

Out of 145 Spencer's outlets in 36 Indian cities, 30 stores are located in Kolkata. Since April, six new Spencer's outlets have opened in the metropolis, the release said.