Signature Flatbreads has announced plans to invest £150m to increase capacity and expand its product range, with more than 500 jobs expected to be created as a result.
The investment by the Dunstable-based firm – winner of Bakery Manufacturer of the Year at the Baking Industry Awards 2023 – coincides with its 40th anniversary next month. It immediately follows the completion of its five-year £100m investment programme, which also enhanced production capacity at its bakery and improved staff wellbeing facilities.
Turnover at Signature Flatbreads surpassed the £200m mark last year, with more than 2,000 staff members employed at its sprawling 500,000 sq ft site that spans multiple units across Chiltern Park Industrial Estate. The company revealed it had recently taken a lease on an additonal unit.
With dozens of production lines in operation daily, Signature Flatbreads creates a wide range of own-label bakery goods including flatbreads, wraps, pittas, pancakes, crumpets and more, supplied to customers in retail, QSR, and foodservice channels. It also owns the Deli Kitchen brand, stocked by supermarkets nationwide with a range including Italian-inspired Sliced Focaccia, Greek Flatbreads, Brioche Style Wraps, Persian Flatbreads, and the recently launched Lebanese Style Flatbreads.
Signature Flatbreads was established by Dr Samir Eid in 1984 and became the first company to introduce commercial naan breads and tortillas into British supermarkets. “My late father founded our bakery with a mission to introduce a variety of breads from around the world to the UK market and beyond,” commented William Eid, joint CEO of Signature Flatbreads.
“We are so pleased to offer such a fabulous variety of breads today; breads that are so versatile in the creation of quick and wonderful meals for our consumer. Our investments are intended to keep our offering relevant, as we continue to champion innovation and to support our customers in their own growth plans,” Eid added.
To mark the 40th anniversary and the heritage of its founder, staff will be treated to a Lebanese-inspired meal, while a company bake-off competition and charity sporting events will be held. A new company website will also be launched, charting the company’s history.
“Our small family bakery has grown into a market leader, baking over two billion breads each year, as we proudly celebrate our 40th year,” expressed Charles Eid, joint CEO and William’s brother. “We now export to more than 70 countries from our bakeries, but family values and teamwork remain at the heart of everything we do.”
William’s son James, now a fourth-generation baker of the Eid family, founded the subscription service Earth & Wheat in 2021 to sell wonky bread, vegetables, and fruit sourced from multiple suppliers across the UK including Signature Flatbreads. To date, it has saved over 600 tonnes of food from going to waste, and secured a coveted Baking Industry Award for Sustainability Initiative of the Year 2022.
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