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The prestigious title of Craft Bakery Business of the Year is awarded to bakeries producing craft, handmade, of bespoke items via successful business models and well-trained staff.
Winner: Pettigrew Bakeries
Pettigrew Bakeries fought off stiff competition from a fellow Welsh bakery and two in England to clinch the title of Craft Bakery Business of the Year 2024.
The business, which is eight years old, specialises in sourdough and claims to be one of the pioneers of authentic sourdough in its hometown of Cardiff.
The family-run bakery has three sites across the city, all representing different sides of Cardiff and different types of locations – such as the city centre and sub-urban estate. It is founder David Le Masurier’s understanding of each and his ability to adapt with different models for the various types of locations and customers that has seen the business thrive. Expansion has also enabled the firm to split its production across the sites with the Canton one specialising in patisserie and lamination, and the Roath one focusing on its bread offering with both supplying the Castle Arcade store.
Sourdoughs are made with organic flour over a 72-hour process, while Pettigrew uses traditional yeasted methods to create products like demi-brioche, focaccia, honey-oat spelt bread and more. It’s also proud of its pastries including the Crème Brûlée Croissant, Mocha Cocoa Croissant, and Pistachio & Cardamom Cruffin. These are supplemented with limited-edition sweet and savoury treats, including a Pumpkin Spice Danish and Glamorgan Sausage Danish.
The judges described the products as “exceptional” noting that the range on offer was “well thought out and all of the products “really complemented each other”.
The staff also impressed the panel ensuring a positive atmosphere at every site. “The passion of every single member of staff shone through – they were engaged and excited to work for Pettigrew Bakeries and shared this excitement with the customers,” commented the judges. “Every individual brought something to the business, and they’d all come from different backgrounds and environments which really fostered an environment of idea sharing and learning.”
Finalist: 108 the Bakery
Founded five years ago in the Hampshire town of Romsey near Southampton, this bakery states its aim to be a ‘delicious and joyful force for good’ by offering an artisanal range of seasonal and sustainable baked goods to the local community. It launched its Food Zones Model this year, which gives distinct targets for where it sources ingredients from such as 60% from within 100 miles.
The company, which was also a finalist in this category last year, operates a single production site including a retail space, with an open-plan layout allowing customers a direct view of the products being made from scratch. It specialises in long-fermented sourdough breads made from local organic or regeneratively farmed flours, as well as cakes, pastries, savouries and sandwiches. A sourdough hot cross bun was said to be extremely popular this year.
Among the 11 staff members, some that are completing apprenticeships, while a new front of house manager has helped enhance customer experience.
Judges praised the “outstanding bread, top notch sweets, and good vegan products”, while commenting the that “the team was a joy to be around” with the business “embedded in the local community”.
Finalist: Henllan Bakery
This fifth-generation family business, based in the picturesque Vale of Clwyd in North Wales, supplies a range of bread, morning goods and savoury products out of its original bakery. It also operates a second site over the road where it bakes and hand finishes cakes and other sweet treats.
With a workforce of 136 employees, it strives to create consistently high quality and fresh products for over 800 wholesale customers including independent shops, restaurants, and schools, plus some national supermarket chains. Bestselling lines are the small brown sliced bread, white baps, school cakes, and sausage rolls, with a range of Stotties commissioned by Booths.
Henllan places an emphasis on using Welsh ingredients such as Halen Môn sea salt from Anglesey and locally-sourced cheese and steak. It has also made sizeable investments on equipment over the past year including a new Konig roll line, a spiral cooler, and a ‘Tray bot’ to unload hot trays from racks and return them. It remains on track to hit £10m in turnover this year.
Judges appreciated the prioritised efficiency and operational standards as well as training of staff. “They understand gaps in the market and are going for it both with products and geographical coverage,” commented one judge.
Finalist: Lovingly Artisan
This creative sourdough specialist creates its gut-healthy product range, made from natural ingredients, at a bakery in Lakeland Food Park near Kendal on the edge of the Lake District.
Co-founded 14 years ago by Aidan Monks – the 2019 Baker of the Year – and his wife Catherine Connor, the Cumbrian business operates two stores at Altrincham Market and a Bread Truck (now affectionately named Florence) that it drives to farmers markets, as well as online sales. Planet-loving also plays a massive role in Lovingly Artisan’s approach, with all packaging biodegradable and customers encouraged to avoid single use.
The company currently produces over 10,000 loaves per week, and supplies wholesale to the likes of Booths, Caterite, and L’Enlcume. Sourdough varieties range from traditional white and heritage grains to flavoured offerings like Cheese & Marmite, Spiced Apple & Cinnamon, and Dark Chocolate Malt with Mediterranean Orange.
Judges found that the “passion shines through from Aidan and Catherine”, who really “know their tribe and the customers who shop with them”. The company was on “an exciting journey with some ambitious plans ahead”, noted judges, including expanding to a second location to increase production capacity by 50% and create a new retail outlet.
Baking Industry Awards 2024 winners revealed
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