Cumbria-based sweet bakery manufacturer Bells of Lazonby has completed a £1m expansion project to increase production and support future growth.
The family-run business has added around 4,800 sq ft of floor space to its conventional bakery in the village of Lazonby near Penrith. This enables the business to scale output for its products, including cakes, tarts, sweet pies, muffins, and traybakes which are supplied wholesale to UK foodservice distributors.
In addition, it has invested in new equipment with more efficient production processes created, whilst segregation between production areas has been strengthened to further enhance food safety and compliance.
The project also delivered upgraded wash facilities, improved workflow efficiency, and a more spacious, organised, and safer working environment for employees. The new layout allows for greater flexibility in scheduling, noted the business, helping it respond more quickly to customer demand and reduce bottlenecks during peak periods.
Bells of Lazonby also operates an adjacent second site that is one of Europe’s largest dedicated allergen-free bakeries, which avoids all but two (egg and tree nuts) of the 14 major allergens. It produces free-from lines including the We Love Cakes range, which was a finalist in both the Bakery Brand of the Year and Free From Bakery Product of the Year categories at the Baking Industry Awards 2025.
“This expansion is a major milestone for the business,” commented managing director Rob Keeping, who replaced Tim Conder in the leadership position last month. “Bells of Lazonby is leading in bakery for innovation and recipe development, this expansion allows the business to add scale to production and meet growing demand.
“We are proud to have a facility that reflects our commitment to continuously improving the environment our teams work in. We’re focused on driving efficiency, quality, and sustainability as we look to the future,” he added.
Next year Bells of Lazonby celebrates 80 years of trading. Its board is comprised of both second and third generation family members and the business remains wholly family owned.
Two other Northern manufacturers recently unveiled major investments in site expansions – Yorkshire-based pastry specialist The Original Baker and Salford-based plastic packaging supplier Werit UK.
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