Two Magpies Bakery has begun relocating operations to its new central bakery site in its latest step towards ambitious growth plans.
The 11,000 sq ft production unit in the Suffolk village of Walpole had been expected to be up and running almost 12 months ago, with co-founder and CEO Steve Magnall targeting a trebling in turnover through increased production and significant expansion of the company’s estate.
However, a series of ‘big delays’ had postponed the actual move of manufacturing until recently this year.
Following an £80,000 investment in the new facility, the staff and equipment from its 2,000 sq ft bakery in nearby Halesworth were relocated over the past week. Its other bakery in Darsham, a little further down the road, is set to be transferred in due course.
A total of 20 existing staff will be joined by 10 new recruits at the Walpole bakery. This will help to increase the output volume of Two Magpies, which currently operates a chain of nine bakeries and cafes across East Anglia. The company’s most recent opening was its third ‘Mini Magpie’ outlet at the quay front of Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk.
“We’ve been planning this move for some time and it will make a huge difference to operations,” said Two Magpies owner and CEO Steve Magnall. “The new bakery will mean more space, more volume and a much greater control on output and efficiency across the production line. It will also reduce wasted miles as everything will be more centralised to serve our nine sites.”
Two Magpies Bakery head of bakery and production Guy Watts, who is managing and overseeing the relocation, said it has so far been “plain sailing for the most part”. He noted that it was a substantial operation to move a whole bakery, but the new site gave the company “so much more scope for upscaling production”.
A further expansion of its estate could see the company make next year’s Bakery Market Report, which lists the Top 75 firms in the UK by number of outlets. The bottom five bakeries all have 13 stores at the time of compiling the 2023 report, which can be downloaded for free.
Two Magpies also gained a Highly Commended honour for its Gluten-Free Artisan Loaf at Britain’s Best Loaf 2023.
“We have big plans over the next few months with an exciting new Christmas range coming soon,” added Magnall.
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