Sussex bakery chain Forfars is rolling out a new look across its 22-shop estate, with two outlets so far rebranded ’Fresh from Forfars’.
The 70-year-old chain created the new format in response to changing shopping habits, MD Tim Cutress told British Baker.
The changes include brighter, fresher colour schemes, uniforms and shop layouts and the new name, Fresh from Forfars, also highlights the fact that most products are made at the local Forfars bakery, he said. "This is experimental," said Cutress. "It is quite a departure from our traditional roots. I’m a great believer that if you don’t evolve, you have got no divine right to survive. Sometimes we bakers whinge too much."
Forfars has also introduced a range of healthy foods, including low-GI bread, fruit salads and pasta salads in a bid to appeal to a wider customer base. The Forfars range already includes more takeaway items, including freshly prepared sandwiches and rolls and fresh-ground coffees, as demand for traditional items, such as loaves of bread, declines. Bread, which previously accounted for 30% of Forfars’ sales now accounts for less than 10% overall, Cutress said.
Forfars will refurbish its third outlet in central Brighton over the May Day Bank Holiday with further outlets to follow in late summer, before the roll-out picks up pace to one store refit a month.
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