Craft bakery chain Chatwins has taken on all five of The Village Bakery in Wrexham’s shops as the Welsh firm looks to focus on its wholesale business.
The shops in Wrexham, Rhos, Llangollen, Ruthin and Holywell will join Chatwin’s existing estate, taking it to 26 shops in total.
Nantwich-based Chatwins has agreed to retain the shops’ 50 staff, on their existing terms and conditions.
Edward Chatwin, managing director, said: "We have known the Jones family at the Village Bakery for a long time and both bakeries have a similar ethos and a real passion for our products, so it was a very good fit.
"This was a great opportunity for us to expand by 20 per cent almost overnight and, whereas the Village Bakery are concentrating their efforts on the wholesale business, we are retail specialists."
Robin Jones, managing director at The Village Bakery wrote to affected members of staff. He said: "Chatwins have exciting plans to build on the success we have already achieved in creating a chain of attractive, well-run outlets.
"Like the Village Bakery, Chatwins are a family run firm of craft bakers and all the existing staff will be kept on with pay and conditions being protected. There will be no job losses."
He said the firm had been growing rapidly in recent years, thanks for the continued expansion of its wholesale arm which supplies a number of well-known brands.
A spokesperson for Chatwins told British Baker it hoped to have the rebrand of the five shops completed by Monday 11 November.
Last week British Baker reported that The Village Bakery had been titled Wales’ fastest-growing company at the Fast Growth 50 awards, after its grew more than 1,500%.
Employing more than 250 staff with a view to hire another 50, the bakery hopes to build a further 60,000sq ft production, office and innovation space, in a bid to increase turnover to £35m over the next five years.
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