UK food manufacturing has been given a major boost with the opening of a £2 million chilled home baking production site, creating 40 new jobs and the promise of many more to come.
The opening of the BakeAway Limited facility in Northampton marks the beginning of an ambitious development plan for the new company.
With a contract already secured to supply Sainsbury’s chilled home baking range, and early sales already significantly ahead of forecasts, Managing Director Brian Homewood is intent on increasing the projected first year turnover of £4.5million to double that in year two.
Brian says: “A number of the staff here have many years’ experience in pastry manufacture and we have specialised experience in the home baking market – an area we intend to concentrate on.
“One of our main selling points is that our pastry is made entirely from British wheat, whereas rival brands import pastry to the UK from Germany and Austria. Our pastry ingredients have low food miles before they reach our factory, which leads to superior product quality. Our flour, for example, is milled within 20 miles of our site.”
The home baking market has seen growth of 13 per cent in the past 12 months. There has also been a staggering 25 per cent uplift in pastry usage in the past 18 months as people go out less and spend more money on home cooking and entertaining friends (source: Bakeaway Limited).
Brian, who has thirty years’ experience in chilled pastry, added: “The key message to get across to consumers is that our products are great quality and very easy to use. They are rolled on baking paper so all you need to do is unroll the pastry, add your filling of choice then pop it in the oven.”
BakeAway’s current product range comprises:
• Block – Shortcrust Pastry, All Butter Puff Pastry and Puff Pastry
• Ready Roll – Puff Pastry, All Butter Pastry, Short Crust Pastry, Dessert Pastry, Lite Short Crust Pastry, Lite Short Crust Pastry
• Block Belgium Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
• Block Gingerbread Dough
The company has also developed a range for foodservice outlets that comprises 5kg blocks of Shortcrust Pastry, All Butter Puff Pastry and Puff Pastry.
Brian is confident about future growth. He concludes: “We’ve had a fantastic start and we will continue to invest to ensure our growth continues. New products are already in development to extend our range and the future looks bright on so many fronts.”
Trade enquiries: 01536 263 663
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