A fast-growing bakery has secured investment for a multi-million pound expansion plan that\u2019s going to create 65 new jobs – with the promise of many more to follow.<\/p>\n
The first phase will see the Jones Village Bakery installing a new production line to make bread rolls at its headquarters site in Wrexham to cater for demand from new and existing customers.<\/p>\n
The highly automated state-of the-art line will make a range of morning goods\u00a0 and will be up and running by next year.<\/p>\n
The move has been made possible by a new partnership with French bakery giant, Menissez, a family-owned business that was founded in 1965.<\/p>\n
They have bought a stake in the Village Bakery, taking over from UK private equity firm, Limerston Capital, who invested in the company in 2021.<\/p>\n
The business will continue to be run by the existing senior management team, headed by Robin Jones, the managing director, and his brother Christien, along with operations director Simon Thorpe and commercial director Lesley Arnot.<\/p>\n
The company, which has several bakeries on Wrexham Industrial Estate and another in Minera on the outskirts of the town, currently employs 900 people and was named in the top 10 of the UK\u2019s fastest growing food and drink brands in the Fast 50 food list published by The Grocer magazine, with a compound annual growth rate of 72 per cent.<\/p>\n
According to Robin Jones, the Village Bakery had a great number of potential suitors keen to buy into the company\u2019s success story but Menissez was the \u201cperfect fit\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThis exciting new partnership with Menissez will bring immediate investment into the business.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are a brilliant company\u00a0 and the family, headed by Laurent and Isabelle Menissez, are true global pioneers of the bakery industry and this is a long-term partnership that will benefit from the clear synergies between the two companies and the two families.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur cutting edge operation and the scope for future expansion will provide\u00a0 them with a UK production platform.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe new production line will be the best, most modern equipment available anywhere in the world and will have a high degree of automation, underpinned by our craft bakery skills.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve always been keen to ensure that the bakery is run by bakers because we have a very proud heritage as a family business that\u2019s celebrating its 90th<\/sup> anniversary this year.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why Menissez is the perfect fit because they have the same DNA as a family-run company with the same values because like us they focus on people, quality, customer service and innovation.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been on an incredible journey and since Limerston became a shareholder\u00a0 in 2021 the business has trebled in size and we\u2019d like to thank them for their involvement but we are now beginning a new chapter.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re really proud to partner with Menissez because this significant investment will enable us to fulfil our huge potential in terms of growth and reach a whole new level.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing part of Menissez, which has a number of companies, including Van Rooy and Le Marie Patisserie in Europe and Boulart in Canada, will bring a host of benefits, not least helping us tap into their enormous distribution network, enabling us to reach new markets – both here in the UK and all over the world.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re already doing incredibly well in Australia and New Zealand, Europe and the Middle East but this tie-up is an absolute gamechanger in terms of export potential.<\/p>\n \u201cAs well as the new production line, we\u2019re looking at significant further future investment which will create a lot more jobs in the years to come.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reason we have grown\u00a0 is that we have innovated to make brilliant products backed up by great service and that approach will continue.<\/p>\n \u201cOur quality is second to none and every person working at the Village Bakery has contributed to that success so Christien and I want to say a huge thank you to all the Village People.<\/p>\n \u201cI know they are also going to be integral to our future growth and we will continue to focus on what we do well and do it even better.<\/p>\n \u201cChristien, myself and the Village team are incredibly excited and super-proud because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that\u2019s great news for the workforce and great news for the Wrexham economy. This is the perfect 90th<\/sup> birthday present for us\u00a0 – it\u2019s onwards and upwards.\u201d<\/p>\n It was a sentiment echoed by Laurent Menissez, the CEO of the Menissez Bakery Group, who said there were clear parallels between the two companies.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cThe Jones Village Bakery has been a shining light in the bakery industry for many years and we have watched their growth with great admiration.<\/p>\n \u201cLike them, we are a family company and bakers at heart so their culture and values are the same as ours.<\/p>\n \u201cAs well as producing the highest quality baked goods, they have\u00a0 a clear vision to expand capacity and reach new customers.<\/p>\n \u201cBy combining our resources and our expertise, we can become even more successful together.\u201d<\/p>\n