Wales’s fastest growing company is creating 60 new jobs in Wrexham.
The news was announced during a visit yesterday (Monday, October 28) by Welsh Economy Minister Edwina Hart and UK Minister for Trade and Investment Lord Green to the Village Bakery.
The award-winning bakery also unveiled the fact that it is developing plans for a new training academy and innovation centre at their premises on Wrexham Industrial Estate.
According to the family-run firm, the support of the Welsh Government has been crucial to their spectacular growth.
More than 20 new jobs have already been created at Village Bakery – with a further 40 to follow – as a result of a £1.8 million expansion supported by a £565,780 grant from the Welsh Government.
The investment will more than double staff numbers at the site and enable the business to increase capacity, invest in equipment and introduce additional lines to take advantage of new contracts from major supermarkets.
The Village Bakery recently named as the fastest growing company in Wales at the Wales Fast Growth 50 Award.
Mrs Hart said: “This is excellent news. This investment and expansion will not only support the growth of the business and is already creating new jobs, but will bring additional benefits to the Welsh economy through increased supply chain activity.
“I am pleased financial support from the Agri Food Development Fund enabled The Village Bakery to respond swiftly to maximise commercial opportunities as they arose with their key customers. It is another example of how the Welsh Government is helping business growth and job creation.”
The Village Bakery was recently named as the fastest growing company in Wales at the Wales Fast Growth 50 Awards.
During a tour of the facility Managing Director Robin Jones stressed the support from the Welsh Government’s Agri-Food Development Fund had been essential for their recent expansion.
He said: “We would not have been able to grow the business as we have without this support and the owners are very grateful. It illustrates that with government support we can grow a business and survive and flourish during an economic downturn.
“Our record is also testament to the quality and hard work of the people that we have here. We also have some excellent customers so it’s a winning combination.
“We have a desire to continue this rapid growth and have an appetite for expansion.
“We are developing plans that include a new training and innovation centre with the facilities to train the next generation of bakers to ensure the sustainability and long term future of the business and are also considering proposals for a new 60,000 sq ft bakery.
“We believe it is important for us to generate home-grown talent. Most of our bakery managers and supervisors started out as apprentices and we want to build on this tradition.
“We’re very aware that there is a skills shortage and that it can be difficult to attract the right calibre of staff.
“The planned training academy will be an excellent facility which we hope will include a dedicated bakery and lecture theatre to ensure we have teams of trainees coming through.
“While we are extremely proud of what we have achieved we are not content to rest on our laurels. The proposed innovation centre will enable us to improve existing products and developing new ones.
“The centre will also help in us improve our methods and processes whilst staying true to our traditions as craft bakers and strengthening our commitment to using local ingredients.
“Using local ingredients is great for the local economy and also sets us apart from the competition which will help us make better products and make us a stronger business.”
The Village Bakery, which is based in a 30,000 sq ft unit on Wrexham Industrial Estate, began trading in 2011 and has seen turnover increase from £400,000 to £6million. The funding was to support the creation of 63 new jobs – twenty have already been created, with a further forty three to be created, which will bring total employment on site to 118.
The facility produces baked products, including Welsh cakes, scones and pancakes both frozen unbaked for in store bakeries and baked and wrapped for retail.
