First-half sales at Hayden's Bakeries up 20%

Sales at Hayden’s Bakeries were up 20% in the six months to June 30.

The firm, which recently signed the lease on a new distribution facility that will free up a significant amount of production capacity at its Devizes bakery, makes bakery products and desserts for customers including Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and Costa Coffee.

The expansion will create 150 new jobs over the next two-to-three years, said Pieter Totté (pictured), executive chairman of Hayden's parent company The Real Food Food Company (RGFC).

RGFC's bakery ingredients division Renshaw also posted growth in volumes and profitability “well above management expectations” with sales up 14% over the period, driven by strong export sales and the growing popularity of home baking and sugar craft in the UK, said Totte.

Sugar: tightening supplies

While lower prices had impacted turnover at RGFC's sugar division Napier Brown, tightening supplies were expected to lead to a recovery in pricing levels at the start of the new contract season in October, said Totté.

“We are poised to benefit from a long-awaited turn-around in the sugar market, following the EU-led cuts in supply levels.

"We look forward to the seasonally-stronger second half with considerable confidence."

RGFC will announce its first-half results in mid-September.