Penrith-based bakery Bells of Lazonby has appointed former Aldi group buying director Tim Conder as its new managing director.
Conder replaces Michael Bell in the role, with the second-generation member of the family baker moving to lead the supervisory board of the company. Bell will now focus on engineering projects and manufacturing efficiencies within the business, the company said.
The board is composed of members of the second and third generations of the Bell family and the business will remain wholly family-owned, the company added.
The new managing director, who has also worked for Tesco as a category buying manager, praised the “fantastic history” of Bells of Lazonby, which he said had been built on “quality, innovation and brilliant people”.
“I see huge potential for that to continue and strengthen and I’m excited to work with the team on making that happen. I have also been amazed at the service levels that we have been achieved during the pandemic and how the business has tackled supply chain problems. These will have been matched by very few suppliers in our sector,” Conder added.
Outgoing MD Bell said Conder was “the right person to lead our business in its next phase of ambitious growth in all the channels and countries we operate in”.
Bells of Lazonby, which this year reaches the milestone of 75 years of trading, said it has doubled its capacity in free-from bakery in the last 12 months. The company has launched NPD under its Bells & Whistles and We Love Cake labels, as well as developing business in Australia, Iberia and UAE.
The business was named as a finalist in the Bakery Exporter of the Year category at the Baking Industry Awards 2021, with expected growth of 10% for its export brand and new opportunities in the pipeline
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