BakeMark UK emphasised its commitment to bread ingredients this week as it announced a restructure, following a six-month strategic review.

The ingredients company will now focus on five core product areas – bread ingredients, cookies, cake mixes, value-added doughnuts and soft icings, MD Marco Bertacca told British Baker. Other divisions of Dutch parent CSM will produce lines for the UK market, he added.

Mr Bertacca started the strategic review after joining BakeMark UK in April last year. “When I arrived, BakeMark UK was trying to do a bit of everything,” he said. “I started looking for opportunities where we could be number one. Our financial performance was unsatisfactory last year. Profitable growth and cost reduction are both elements of my vision.”

The shake-up sees the creation of a bread focus division, directed by Derek Kemp, as the company bids to re-establish its position as number one in this market. Mr Bertacca said: “Our heritage is in bread but we lost track of it. We have listened to what our customers want, and have reinforced that we want to be famous for bread.”

In the restructure, BakeMark UK is introducing a dedicated customer service department and integrating operations, including order capture, logistics support and scheduling, to increase coordination and efficiency.

It will have three functional directors instead of four: John Lindsay, sales and innovations director; Andy Clifford, business support director; and Fabrice Barreau, supply chain director.

The shake-up is set to cause 74 redundancies, subject to a 30-day consultation process with trade unions, which started on Monday. BakeMark UK plans to take out layers of management and stop UK development activity in some areas.

The company’s five trade brands – Arkady, Craigmillar, Caravan Brill, Bon Vivant and Readi-Bake – will remain unchanged.

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