An investigation into the major fire that broke out at Warburtons bakery site in Burnley on 4 May has deemed it accidental and identified its cause.
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, which sent a dozen fire engines to bring the blaze under control, confirmed that it had occurred when raw potato cake mixture was discharged onto a hot plate.
Warburtons said it had worked closely with the fire service to investigate the incident and ensure the site is safe. “We thank them again for their response,” added a spokesperson for the bakery brand.
An undated message on the company’s website admitted that a fire had caused its potato cakes – sold at supermarkets for around £1 per pack of six – to be unavailable for a short period of time, but noted customers would start to spot them in stores again over the coming weeks.
Other products made at the Burnley site include crumpets, sandwich thins, wraps, and soft pittas.
“Production resumed at the bakery shortly after the incident and our investment in the site, including two new crumpet lines, will go ahead as planned,” said the spokesperson. “This represents a significant investment in the future of the bakery and underlines our long-term commitment to Burnley.”
Back in April, Warburtons unveiled a £100m investment plan that included the Burnley site updates as well as the acquisition of the former Rathbones bakery in Wakefield, a doubling of its manufacturing footprint at its gluten-free facility in Newburn, a new distribution centre in Biggleswade, and a new pancake line in Bolton, where its headquarters are based.
The company has since teamed up with Bolton Council to open a social enterprise supermarket in the suburb of Great Lever.
Latest full year financial results showed 4.2% volume growth at Warburtons, which it put down to a strong NPD strategy. Turnover rose 3.8% to £769.9m while operating profit soared 30% to £43.2m.
It comes at a time of significant consolidation in the bread manufacturing market, with Hovis and Allied Bakeries merging whilst both Roberts Bakery and Brace’s Bakery have been acquired by Boparan Private Office.
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