Ex-Hovis CEO Jon Jenkins is to step into a new role as managing director of Jacksons Bakery.
Jenkins, who stepped down from Hovis after three years of leadership last September, will join Jacksons on 14 September 2026. In the meantime, Adrian Hipkiss, who is currently a director within the Group, will act as interim managing director for Jacksons Bakery.
The arrival of Jenkins will support the continued growth of Jacksons Bakery and reinforce its reputation for exceptional quality and service, according to owner William Jackson Food Group (WJFG). Throughout his career, he has an ‘outstanding track record for improved financial performance, brand and market growth, and building high-performing teams’, it added.
Prior to joining Hovis as chief executive in 2022, he spent just under five years as the boss of Allied Bakeries, with a stint at Müller UK & Ireland in between.
“Jackson’s Bakery has a rich heritage and I’m excited to work with the team to drive growth, innovation and operational excellence,” said Jenkins.
“The UK bakery market is evolving rapidly and there is a huge opportunity to delight consumers with outstanding product quality and innovation while strengthening customer partnerships.”
WJFG CEO Paul Murphy, who joined the business in April 2025, added: “Jon’s track record speaks for itself. His ability to lead large-scale transformation while strengthening brand and customer partnerships makes him the perfect choice to lead Jacksons Bakery into its next chapter.”
Jacksons currently sits in sixth place in the rankings of Britain’s biggest bread brands [52 w/e 6 September 2025] behind Warburtons, Hovis, Jason’s Sourdough, Kingsmill, and Roberts Bakery, respectively. Of those six brands, only three reported growth with Jacksons among them.
WJFG’s latest accounts for the year ended 26 April 2025 shows a slight drop in turnover from £334.3m in FY2024 to £332.1m in FY2025. EBITDA dropped from £16m to £9.7m, with operational profit also falling from £0.5m in 2024 to a £6.5m loss in 2025.
It was described as a ‘challenging year’ for the group, with multiple factors contributing to its performance. This included a decision to invest in the refurbishment of one of the Jacksons bread plants in Hull which disrupted production in the first quarter but has the long-term benefit of securing capacity for future years, according to the firm.
Entering FY2026, WJFG said it remained cautious about the ongoing challenges impacting the industry and wider company but was confident that it was well placed to manage these.
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