Welsh manufacturer Brace’s Bakery has been acquired by Roberts Bakery 1887.
According to Companies House filings today (5 June), Roberts Bakery 1887 Limited – the company created last October as part of the Boparan Private Office rescue deal for Roberts Bakery – has become the majority shareholder of formerly family-owned firm Brace’s.
Fourth generation Jonathan Brace and his brother Mark have been terminated from their position as director and secretary, respectively, the filings confirmed. Amber Rei Holdings CEO Robert Rafferty has been appointed as director. Amber Rei Holdings operates as part of the Boparan Private Office portfolio, serving as the acquiring entity for strategic food and agricultural investments.
Brace’s closed its site on Pen-Y-Fan Industrial Estate in Caerphilly last year, whilst continuing to operate its main bakery in nearby Croespenmaen. At the time, Jonathan Brace said he saw it as a “reset of the business” which gives it “the opportunity to meet the new market demands head on”.
However, reports surfaced this week of uncertainty at the firm over the future of the business and the 200-plus employees.
Like some other operators, Brace’s was “feeling the consequences” of the declining bread market. NIQ data for the 52 weeks ending 6 September 2025 ranked it as the UK’s sixth biggest wrapped bread brand, with sales down 8.1% year on year to £20.1m.
The business had sought to improve this. In July last year it unveiled a sourdough brand Ernest 100% and spent nearly £1m redeveloping part of its bakery plant in Croespenmaen to produce it. Earlier this year, Brace’s rolled out new paper packaging for the range while also discontinuing the Protein variant as Jonathan Brace confessed “we don’t understand but no one wants Protein”. However, he said the company was looking to redevelop the recipe to be high in fibre to meet consumer needs for higher fibre bakery items.
Brace’s Bakery and Roberts Bakery 1887 have been approached for comment.
The Brace’s acquisition is the latest in a succession of deals between some of the country’s biggest bakery manufacturers. In April, Warburtons purchased the former Rathbones bakery site in Wakefield, having previously taken over a specialty bread factory in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, from Roberts.
Associated British Foods proposed acquisition of Hovis has recently been cleared in Northern Ireland as well as Great Britain by the Competition and Markets Authority, which had previously found competition concerns in the supply of bakery products in the region. A final decision on the merger inquiry is due by 24 June.
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