A growing bakery business has clinched a major deal with supermarket giant Tesco to supply their stores in South Wales.
The contract coincides with a 14-day TV advertising campaign that’s being launched by the Wrexham-based Village Bakery, starting on May 14 on ITV Wales.
Unlike a rival bakery who hired film star Sylvester Stallone for their ads, a Village Bakery loaf being baked is front and centre in their adverts which uses slo-mo to emphasise their “use of slow dough to make better bread”.
The Village Bakery already sell their bread products in 16 Tesco supermarkets in North Wales and the expansion means they will now also be available in further 27 stores in South Wales.
The Tesco deal comes on top of other contracts with the Co-op and Asda.
The Village Bakery supply 116 Co-ops and were rewarded last year with an award as their Best Local Community Supplier.
The family run firm has submitted plans to build the UK’s biggest craft bakery next to their current premises on Wrexham Industrial Estate.
If permission is granted, the 215,000 sq ft super bakery – which could accommodate three football pitches – will be built on land next to their two existing bakeries on Wrexham Industrial Estate.
Last year the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall officially opened the new £4 million Baking Academy and Innovation Centre.
Account manager Catherine Bletcher said: “These are exciting times for the Village Bakery as we have a major expansion in South Wales and the new campaign of TV adverts which is about to start.
“We have been in Asda and the Co-op for a number of months now and, as from the beginning of May, we launch into Tesco across their stores in South.
“In Tesco, we’re going to have a range of breads, our barm cakes, a range of breads including the Welsh batch and Village sliced, in other words our top sellers.
“We have similar lines in Asda and in the Co-op we’re selling savouries, our range of pies and pasties and also we’re in on the Meal Deal in all the stores in the Co-op.
“We’ll get some sales momentum once the Tesco customers in South Wales taste the products.
“Although we have grown considerably, we are still a family run firm of craft bakers.
“We make a loaf of bread with traditional methods and traditional values and it’s all about the time we take in letting the bread ferment.
“With our slow dough rolls and bread, we make a sponge which ferments for 18 hours before we make the bread and it just adds to the flavour. That’s the only way that you can honestly add flavour to bread.
“Sales are up and it’s all very positive. While the craft bakery market is in decline overall, we’re bucking the trend.
“I think now people realise and appreciate a really good loaf of bread and the only way we can do that is to take our time making it.
“Hopefully, that will be reflected in the TV adverts. It tries to emphasise the care and attention we take in making our bread and also emphasises the slow dough principle.
“Similarly, the Co-op appreciate locally sourced products. They like our ingredients because we use Welsh beef and Welsh lamb and also our dairy products, we source locally and have done for many years.
“The secret of success is making volume products whilst staying true to our craft baking skills and traditions.
“Our emphasis is always on making a great tasting product that can be scaled up without compromising on quality.”
