Norfolk-based cake company Sponge, owned by Byfords, has just completed a £300,000 refurbishment on its bakery to make it more eco-friendly.

New equipment includes a biomass boiler and solar panels to lower running costs. The bakery is currently running at 20% capacity with a lot of scope for increasing that, including night shifts, with an expansion on the cards ultimately.

Sponge has also developed the latest in bakery hybrids, following on from the cronut and duffin, in the form of the ‘spuffle’ – a cross between sponge and truffle.

They are small round cakes with a consistency between the two better-known products. The hybrid has had a successful trial with Legoland parent company Merlin Entertainments and was officially launched at last week’s Lunch! Show in Angel, London.

Sponge already supplies some bespoke products to British Airways and plans to court more business from other airlines.

Richard Fowler, head of sales, told British Baker: “We want to expand one day, as well as inviting people to come and bake on-site. This redevelopment means we are ready to scale up.”

The budget for the company was set at a 40% increase year-on-year and it is performing 171% ahead.