Baking Industry Awards 2025: Wildfarmed named Bakery Brand of the Year 2025

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Now in its second year, Bakery Brand of the Year recognises outstanding performance by consumer-facing bakery brands.

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Source: Wildfarmed

Source: Wildfarmed

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Winner: Wildfarmed

“A masterclass in how to introduce a brand with impact, clarity, and momentum” was how the Baking Industry Awards judges described Wildfarmed’s entry into the bread market.

Although Wildfarmed’s regenerative flour has been on the scene for a few years as an ingredient for bakers of all shapes and sizes to use, the brand is relatively new to consumers having launched as a five-strong bread range in Waitrose in early 2024. The original line-up featured a sliced white loaf, sliced seeded loaf, white rolls, sourdough, and seeded sourdough, with a baguette and bread flour landing shortly after. Further listings with Ocado and Tesco followed, with Wildfarmed joining the latter’s accelerator programme alongside a 13 other brands focused on health and sustainability.

“It’s a brand that balances purpose and performance with rare precision”

Co-founded by Andy Cato, Edd Lees, and George Lamb, the business’ mission for the past year was to launch its consumer facing brand and products ‘with a bang’, build its marketing capabilities, and strengthen its team – all of which it has achieved. What’s more, the business says it expects revenue to double between 2024 and 2025 as it works on bringing regenerative products to the mainstream.

Wildfarmed is far from traditional, bringing all the qualities of a challenger brand to the bread aisles. Its bright green packaging, complete with disco ball, certainly has standout appeal on shelf. This was also felt through its approach to marketing. It opted to appear in non-traditional spaces, utilising large-format flyposting in major cities, in-store POS, and social to maximise visibility and impact with research showing that nearly a quarter of all London adults saw its launch campaign.

“It’s a brand that balances purpose and performance with rare precision, and their trajectory suggests they’re only just getting started,” one judge added.

Indeed, Wildfarmed isn’t stopping there. Over the next three years it aims to expand its distribution and ramp up its NPD efforts to create a mass market regenerative bread range. Away from the supermarket aisles, it wants to become the leading voice in UK regenerative agriculture.

Finalist: Flake Bake

Jamaican patty brand Flake Bake has grabbed every opportunity that has come its way – from appearing on TV show Aldi’s Next Big Thing and ultimately gaining a listing with the discounter to securing £150k in TV advertising as part of Channel 4’s Black in Business initiative.

This, coupled with a solid marketing plan, NPD, and multi-pronged strategy for growth, has resulted in the Peckham-based business doubling its revenue over the past year and selling 1.4m Jamaican Beef Patties through Aldi. Flake Bake founder Mike Williams said: “every key objective for the year has not only been met but exceeded”.

This was felt by the judging panel, which commended Flake Bakes ambitions and ability to shake up the savoury pastry category. “Flake Bake is an entrepreneurial success story, showing what’s possible with sharp instincts, a clear voice, and relentless drive,” they said.

Finalist: St. Pierre

Clad in bright orange, brioche specialist St Pierre is back for another shot at the trophy having been named a finalist in the Bakery Brand of the Year category in 2024. Its success is built on a core range of brioche burger buns and hot dog rolls as it aims to help consumers ‘make every day magnifique’.

Owned by Grupo Bimbo, the brand has enjoyed strong growth over the past 12 months driven by distribution gains and its above-the-line debut with the tongue-in-cheek Eat Avec Respect campaign.

The campaign was deliberately developed for the long-term, with enough flexibility to cater to different markets and various meal occasions, according to the brand which highlighted improvements in brand image, brand awareness, and quality perceptions as a result.

“St Pierre has established itself as a household name, combining mass appeal with consistent growth,” said the judges, adding that the brand’s success lies in its grasp of the fundamentals of “recognisable branding, versatile products, and a clear, consistent proposition”. They also praised the Eat Avec Respect campaign which “clearly got people talking and buying”.

Finalist: We Love Cake

Owned by family firm Bells of Lazonby, We Love Cake specialises in free-from baked goods with brownies, tarts, and cakes among the line-up. Deeper distribution and market-leading innovation were on the agenda for the brand in 2025 following a brand refresh in 2024.

The innovation box was ticked by its Chocolate Orange Slices, which are now shifting around 5,000 units a week and have been named as a finalist in the Free-From Bakery Product of the Year category at this year’s awards. Distribution gains came thanks to Tesco which extended the reach of We Love Cake’s range to its Express stores meaning it is now in 1,400 of the retailer’s sites.

We Love Cake was described by the judges as a “confident, purpose-driven brand” with a “standout identity”. “The last year has seen well-earned growth, driven by strategic NPD, a refreshed identity, and smart, consumer-friendly marketing,” they added.

Finalist: Yorkshire Baking Company

Yorkshire Baking Company, owned by Regal Food Products Group, is renowned for its Mega Loaf – a large family-sharing loaf cake that is ‘exceptional value for money’. While Cherry, Chocolate, Lemon Crunch, and Madeira loaves (to name a few) grace the range year-round, Yorkshire Baking Company has embraced limited-edition NPD with Banana, Carrot, Hot Cross Bun, Mince Pie, and Jam & Coconut variants of the Mega Loaf. The latter was so popular it is now a permanent line.

The firm said its marketing team have invested heavily on brand presentation through its social media channels, sparking conversations. It has also supported with in-store activities by running promotions and delivering on POS displays. The most recent example of this was its very first on-pack promotion which saw it team up with Emmerdale Village Tour.

A “solid, commercially successful brand which knows its strengths and plays to them,” said the judging panel, adding that the Yorkshire Baking Company brand is built on “consistency, quality, and familiarity” which is yielding excellent results.