Wirral-based specialist baker eyes rapid international expansion

Baker & Baker, a €400m turnover European bakery products manufacturer has been launched after splitting from CSM Bakery Solutions.

Operating across 12 sites in seven countries, with more than 2,500 employees, the Wirral-headquartered business will maintain and grow its UK market share as well as focusing on growth opportunities in Europe.

The company already has an established footprint in Germany, Benelux, France, Italy and Iberia, and will prioritise the expansion of its customer base and explore new opportunities in step with the easing of COVID restrictions across continental Europe and selected rapidly emerging international markets.

Baker & Baker will also continue to build on its strong market share in the American Sweet Bakery segment – which includes donuts, cookies and specialty muffins – and in particular, via its long-term, successful partnership with Mondelez, which sees the business manufacture and distribute a broad range of bakery products under the Cadbury, Oreo, Milka and Daim brand names.

Rhône, through affiliated investment funds, will retain its ownership of Baker & Baker and Brill North America following the completed sale of CSM Ingredients to InvestIndustrial.

John Lindsay, Baker & Baker CEO, said: “Today marks the next exciting chapter in the continued evolution of our impressive bakery products offering through the formation of Baker & Baker as a focused standalone business.

“Our philosophy and strategy will be to serve key account customers and the field trade in our core markets through the development of high-quality bakery products and complemented by a strong new product pipeline.

“As many European countries and regions prepare to loosen COVID-19 restrictions during the summer, we’re well placed to see growth return with artisanal bakers and with customers in the hospitality sector.

“Whilst we bid farewell to many colleagues who will remain with CSM Ingredients, we’re confident their business will also continue their growth trajectory within the bakery ingredients market.”

Gianpiero Lenza, Managing Director of Rhône, added: “We’re pleased to have completed the significant and complex divestment of the European CSM Bakery Solutions business, and will now focus on investing resources to further strengthen Baker & Baker’s position as a market leader in the European bakery convenience segment by growing and diversifying its customer base via product innovation and new product development.”