Ministry of Cake has been sold to French manufacturer Mademoiselle Desserts for an undisclosed sum.

The Somerset and Devon-based dessert maker will become part of the €210m group that supplies retailers including Marks & Spencer, and currently operates two production facilities in the UK.

Ministry of Cake currently has a turnover of £30m annually, producing three million slices of cake a week, and employing more than 400 people at its factories in Taunton and Torquay.

The company supplies major pub and restaurant chains such as JD Wetherspoon, TGI Fridays and Whitbread.

Chris Ormrod, MD for Ministry of Cake, tells British Baker that he will remain the MD of the business and that they have a very clear plan to grow the sites to £40m.

“It can only enhance our place in the European market, especially with the uncertainties created by Brexit in the future,” he said.

“It opens up new markets to us and offers us the security of being part of a larger company. Our employees also now have an exciting career path, as they will have options to work elsewhere in the European business.’’

Didier Boudy, CEO of Mademoiselle Desserts, said Ministry of Cake is a perfect addition to the group.

“Combined with our two sites in the UK - The Handmade Cake Company in Maidenhead and Mademoiselle Desserts Corby - we have now an unrivalled state-of-the-art production capability dedicated to our foodservice customers.’’