D&G Food Group, the company set up to buy five McCambridge bakeries earlier this year, plans to expand the business’ customer base in 2010 after reviewing operations and improving efficiency.
The company, which is headed up by former Roberts chairman Graham March and operations director David Fearnley-Brown, acquired Aldreds the Baker (Derbyshire); Queen of Hearts (Oxford); Husseys (Berkshire); Tredinnick Fine Foods; and West of England Bakeries (both Devon) from McCambridge last June.
Since then, the owners have closed the Husseys bakery and have worked to improve production at the remaining sites, said Graham March, while ditching its original plan to develop each bakery as a centre of excellence for individual product categories. Aldreds has recently been awarded A-grade BRC accreditation and the company plans to work towards BRC status at its West of England facility.
"Now we are sorted out on the operational front, we aim to improve volumes across the sites by targeting extra markets," said March.
Queen of Hearts and Aldreds will look to develop new products for coffee shops, he said, while future BRC status will help West of England target supermarket local sourcing schemes.
The four bakeries currently produce a mix of bread, confectionery and savouries.