Invest Northern Ireland

Rising to the occasion

The pandemic has had a deep impact on bakery as has been the case for most categories and has been a challenging landscape to navigate, but the diverse Northern Irish bakery sector are more than ready to face these challenges head on.

As the third largest agri-food sector in Northern Ireland, the bakery sector is represented by a healthy blend of larger operators, family run businesses and smaller artisanal operations ensuring an industry that is well-equipped to deal with the ever changing landscape. So whether it be innovative, premium products to capitalise on what will certainly

be a more sociable and celebratory year, operations that are attuned to the ever-increasing requirements around health & sustainability, or operators ready & equipped to tackle the re-formulation challenges posed by HFSS, the Northern Irish bakery sector offers a broad spectrum of innovative solutions.

Sweet and savoury bakery products from Northern Ireland are popular across the UK, and with good reason. Healthy and hearty wheaten bread and soda farls from the griddle, buttery cakes and tray bakes and indulgent sausage rolls have flown off retail shelves for decades. Alongside this, Northern

Ireland bakeries have been quick to offer vegan and gluten-free alternatives that rival traditional recipes in terms of taste and quality. These are challenging times for the wider food sector, with rapidly rising ingredient and production costs driving increased commercial pressure.

Now, more than ever, flexibility, innovation and strong customer relationships are crucial. Northern Ireland’s long-established and largely family-owned bakeries are well positioned for continued growth. Committed to using quality, often locally produced ingredients, provenance and outstanding flavour are guaranteed.

Ashers Baking Co

Ashers Baking Co was founded in 1993 in the Co Antrimtown of Ballyclare by Mr & Mrs McArthur using their familyrecipes. Since then we have been refining our recipes. Wethen moved to our new shop in Newtownabbey which seenthe bakery go from strength to strength, we now have 7shops and an 8,000 sq feet bakery also in Newtownabbey.

We produce a wide range of products including, breads,baps, rolls, morning goods. Also a wide range of cakesfrom round cakes to cupcakes and tray-bakes. We havea small range of fresh cream including pavlova, BFG,choc swiss rolls and 2pk favourite such as coconutfingers and Valencia slices. I can’t forget our famoussausage rolls. We supply both fresh chilled packsand frozen for the hospitality/food service sectors.

We are now planning further expansion. We have justpurchased a site which when we finish extending, we willmove from 8,000 sq ft to 24,000 sq ft. A lot of investmentwill be going into the expansion of our sausage roll plant.

CONTACT: COLIN DONALDSON

Mob: +44 (0)75467511425

E: wholesale@ashersbakingco.com

W: www.ashersbakingco.com

Crust and Crumb

Crust and Crumb Bakery operate from four BRC “AA” approved production facilities in the UK (Northern Ireland) and Europe (Republic of Ireland), with one dedicated Gluten/Vegan Free production site.

We are Ireland’s largest manufacturer of chilled pizza along with an extensive range of ambient, chilled, and frozen flatbread products. Crust & Crumb Specialise in private label Pizza, Pizza Bases, Naan Breads, Pitta Breads, Garlic Flatbreads and Tortilla Wraps and currently export globally. We pride ourselves in our ability to be innovative to meet customer requirements.

Most recently we have invested in a 75sq m woodfired oven built in Italy. This, along with our slow fermented and hand stretched dough, meets our customer demands giving them an authentic restaurant – quality pizza, with enhanced flavour, texture, and taste.

CONTACT: MARK McCAFFREY

Mob: +44 (0)7778597433

E: sales@crust-crumb.com

W: crust-crumb.com

Facebook: @CrustandCrumbBakeryLtd

LinkedIn: @crust-&-crumb-bakery-ltd

Genesis Bakery

Genesis Bakery produces a wide range of morninggoods and sweet treats for some of the country’s mostdiscerning retailers.

Genesis development bakers have been behind some of the UK’s most successful cake launches recently including Colin the Caterpillar cupcakes, Biscakes and loaf cakes for M&S, Iced Spiced buns for Waitrose and Finest Bakewell Tarts for Tesco. While a large part of the company’s business is in private label, it also has its own very successful Genesis brand, with pancakes, hot cross buns and wide variety of other breads, including Northern Ireland’s best-selling wheaten bread, being delivered to more than 500 stores weekly.

Under the Afters brand, the company hand crafts seasonal and all-year-round small cakes and pastries.

CONTACT: JP LYTTLE

T: +44 (0)28 7963 2465

E: jp.lyttle@genesisbakery.co.uk

W: Under Construction

Insta: @genesisbakeryltd

Twitter:@genesis_bakery

Facebook: @genesisbakeryltd

Holmes Bakery

Established in 1937, Holmes Bakery was acquired byWoodwin Catering Ltd in 2009 and produces a superbrange of biscuits, traybakes and seasonal goods.

The family of products which are marketed under the distinctive ‘Holmes Bakery’ brand, represent a unique blend of traditional recipes and ingredients with convenience.

Holmes Bakery operates from a state-of-the-art production facility and has a longstanding commitment to new product development.

Accredited to standard of Salsa Accreditation, Holmes Bakery has won many Great Taste Awards and Blas na h’Eireann Awards including Gold at Blas 2021 for Holmes Butter Shortbread Biscuit

CONTACT: GILLIAN CASTLES

T: +44 (0)28 3835 1530

Mob: +44 (0)7736613677

E: info@holmesbakery.com

W: www.holmesbakery.com

Twitter: @HolmesBakeryNI

Facebook: @Holmes Bakery

Irwin's Bakery

Irwin’s bakery is a fourth generation family-owned bakery with over 350 employees in Portadown. Manufacturing bread and bakery products under Irwin’s brands and retailer own label to grocery, convenience and food service channels across the UK. Home to the iconic Nutty Krust batch plain bread and their famous muffins and fruit loaf ranges.

They also bake Irwin’s Veda, a popular malted loaf. Recently, Irwin’s Bakery has launched Irwin’s Together, a range of breads and bakery goods that inspire the consumer to trade up through premium products in morning goods and alternative bread sectors. These products have stand out packaging for shelf and clearly defining usage occasions with meal ideas to engage consumers. A range of 15-20 products, some with Irish roots, some more globally inspired are planned over the next 5 years.

CONTACT: SALES AND MARKETING TEAM

T: +44 (0)28 3833 2421

W: irwinsbakery.com

FB: @irwinsbakery

Insta: @irwinsbakery

Linkedin: @linkedin

The Cookie Jar Mourne and Bread

Founded in 1965 as a small family bakery, the busines specialises in traditional Irish Breads, Wheaten Bread and Soda Bread Scones etc.

Over the years it has added more bread products to its range, including Sourdoughs, Brioche and Croissants.

Its range of ‘Bake your Own Bread’ mixes, which include Wheaten Bread, Scone and Soda Mix, are designed to be convenient for the home baker to re-create the taste of its breads.

The company has won Great Taste and Irish Food Awards. It has supplied national supermarket chains and its products can be found all over the world.

CONTACT: JAMES HERRON

Mob: +44 (0)7860220180

T: +44 (0) 28 4372 2427 work

E: info@mourneandbread.co.uk

W: mourneandbread.co.uk

Facebook: @mourneandbread

Facebook: @CookiejarBakeryNewcastle

Instagram:

@cookiejardude80 /

@mourneandbread

Twitter: @mourneandbread

Wafer Ltd

Wafer Ltd is a family business Based in Derry City,Northern Ireland.

Established in 1989 to make wafer products for the ice cream and confectionery industry, last year it made its first foray into the world of packaging with its innovate new product Eco-Tub™, the edible ice cream tub. Eco- Tub™ is one of the fastest decomposing ice cream tubs in the world, breaking down in only 10 days on regular food compost.

The product has won ‘Best New product at the UKnational ice cream Expo 2021 and was shortlisted formost innovative packaging at Gulf Foods 2020.

CONTACT: JOE DOHERTY

T: +44 (0) 7764460300

E: joe@waferltd.co.uk

W: www.waferltd.co.uk

FB: https://www.facebook.com/joe.doherty.10004

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE SPONSORED BY