Frank Roberts prevents bakery business from going stale

FAMILY-owned bakery Frank Roberts & Sons has bought a 121 year-old family bakery in Hawarden, near Chester from administrators Baker Tilly.

The company has bought the business and assets of P&A Davies Ltd – a bakery with business with six retail units around Chester that was set up in 1889.

It specialised in providing bakery products for retailers and caterers. It had been placed into administration after it experienced financial difficulties as a result of its loss-making retail units and cash flow issues that followed the launch of a new bakery.

The bakery is the second that Northwich-based Frank Roberts & Sons, which was set up in 1887 but is still run by family member Mike Roberts, has acquired from administrators within the past three months.

The firm saved 62 jobs at the end of June when it acquired the business and assets of Ilkeston-based Aldreds Bakery.

Lindsey Cooper and Russell Cash of Baker Tilly Restructuring & Recovery in Manchester, were appointed as joint administrators to P&A Davies and immediately sold the business on to Frank Roberts & Sons.

Cooper said: “P&A Davies has a strong reputation in the region and a long and proud baking tradition.

“Although we are pleased to sell the bakery as a going concern and safeguard a proportion of jobs at the company, it is with regret that we have had to make a number of redundancies on appointment in the retail units.”

Mike Braddock, managing director of Frank Roberts and Sons, said: “P&A Davies is a well respected business and the two companies share many values and a long heritage of quality baking. We look forward to working with them to establish a more profitable and viable business model going forward.”

DLA Piper provided legal advice to Baker Tilly.