Samworth Brothers buys Tesco Weybridge bakery

The food manufacturer purchased the former Euphorium bakeries factory after Tesco announced the sale of the company. Samworth Brothers said the purchase was a “great fit” for the company as it continues to expand its food-to-go business.

Samworth Brothers chief executive Alex Knight said: “We are delighted to be welcoming the Euphorium Weybridge bakery into the Samworth Brothers family of businesses. The acquisition will add to our already extensive food-to-go offering and significantly extend our ambient capability.

‘A great fit’

“As a business we have ambitious growth plans and this is a strong addition to the portfolio. It is also a business with an absolute dedication to product quality, customer service and innovation, so a great fit with our own values at Samworth Brothers.”

The food giant was a long-term supplier of Euphorium bakeries. Owner of the bakeries, Tesco, announced it would sell the business to Soho Coffee, on August 26, including Euphorium’s high street stores and its Islington factory. However, one of Euphorium’s factory’s at Weybridge was sold to Samworth Brothers.

Tesco said it would continue to run its in-store Euphorium cafes under the Tesco brand. The retailer said: “We know how important a great bakery offer is to our customers, and this agreement will mean we can continue to serve shoppers with great quality Tesco bakery products.”

Second acquisition within a week

The Weybridge factory is Samworth Brothers’ second acquisition within a week. The company had also struck a deal with Leicester City Council to lease an extra 1.7 acres of land at its Ashton Green site, it announced on Thursday (August 25).

The manufacturer also announced a new food-to-go brand on August 10. Its lunchtime ‘Deli Bite’ brand was planned to exploit the food-to-go sector, which could reach £16.1bn by December.