Bakery on road to growth with new fleet

A FLEET of specialist delivery vans has been acquired by a south Yorkshire bakery following an investment boost.

The six new ‘Bap Vans’, which play the Batman theme deliver hot and cold food to offices and businesses across South and West Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and North Nottinghamshire, have been bought by Doncaster-based Cooplands.

The new vehicles take the total size of the fleet to 25 – making it one of the largest of its kind in the country – while six new jobs have been created as a result of the expansion.

Cooplands, which has 85 shops across the region, was founded in 1932 by Alice Jenkinson. Her son, David Jenkinson remains honorary president of the business.

Yorkshire Bank’s business and private banking centre in Doncaster provided £250,000 of asset finance towards the £600,000 acquisition.

Chris Peck, chairman of Cooplands, said: “Busy working people do not always have time to seek out quality food for their lunch break and so, in partnership with Yorkshire Bank, we are rapidly expanding our fleet of Bap Vans taking quality, competitively-priced food to their doorsteps.

“Sales through our Bap Van fleet are increasing by £1.7m a year. This is an important channel through which we can grow at a time when the high street is proving extremely tough to retain or grow sales. Sales to our key wholesale clients, particularly for cakes, added £250,000 growth over the same period last year.

“The retail bakery market is fast-consolidating and innovating its products. Food scares and adverse consumer reaction to mislabeling issues have made customers increasingly concerned. They are more careful whom they buy from and strong local brands like ours give them confidence in the quality of the food they are buying.”

Cooplands, which also makes a range of savoury and sweet buns, pasties, rolls and cakes, currently has 650 staff and an £18m turnover.

Richard Boor, senior partner at Yorkshire Bank in Doncaster, said: “Cooplands is expanding through innovation both in the quality and types of foods it offers and its way of getting its products to customers. These customers know they have a brand they can rely on at a time when the quality of some products has been called into question.”