Lantmännen Unibake (LU) plans to expand Eurobuns’ production into Danish pastry and croissants, following its purchase of the Milton Keynes frozen food specialist last week.

LU’s chief executive Bent Pultz Larsen told British Baker that Eurobuns’ facilities would be used to make products for both the UK market and for export to continental Europe.

Pultz Larsen said the British market was "very promising". He added that as a result of LU’s successful partnership with Bakehouse, Britain had become its third-largest market for Danish pastry and, with the acquisition of Eurobuns, it had become "our largest market by far".

Eurobuns operates seven high-tech bakery lines and has forecast net sales for the current financial year of £46 million.

Sales and marketing director Martin Jones said the deal would strengthen Eurobuns’ position.

He said: "I am confident that Lantmännen Unibake will add value to Eurobuns and strengthen our position within the UK market.

"In addition, we expect to have access to a raft of other products that will complement the range we produce ourselves."

The acquisition is LU’s third this year - it took over Finnish Baco Oy in February and US firm Eurobake in April.

Following the Eurobuns’ takeover, LU - which specialises in fresh and frozen bakery goods - now has 100 bakery lines at 31 bakeries in 10 countries, employs nearly 5,000 people and has an annual turnover of £744 million.

The company plans to expand globally through acquisition and is targeting companies in Central and Eastern Europe.

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=== In Short ===

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Japanese bakers are finding it hard to get their hands on enough butter, Australian newspaper The Age has reported. A widespread shortage has hit both consumers and bakers buying in bulk. The shortage is due to market conditions, which chased hundreds of domestic dairy farmers out of business, compounded by health scares, encouraging Japanese consumers to drink less milk.

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Prudens Bakery has expanded its family-run business with a new shop in Stoneycroft, Hemel Hempstead. Its sixth shop opened on 7 May and business is "going very well" so far. Prudens had been looking for new premises for a couple of years, and has now found the ideal location at the site of an existing baker. "It closed down over a year ago," said Jon Pruden. "We moved in, refitted it and opened the Wednesday after the first May Bank Holiday."

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Greencore has reported a good performance for the half year ended 28 March with "good prospects for the remainder of the year". Group sales rose 2.5% to £514.5m, while group operating profit rose by the same percentage to £32.6m. Greencore’s ingredients division recorded a "very strong performance", with total sales up 32%, while operating profit from convenience was down 3.8%.

== Bakery bombing ==

A suicide bomber targeted a bakery in Pakistan, killing 10 people. The attack on the bakery, on a Pakistani army base in Mardan, Peshawar, took place on 25 May.

The attack is the deadliest in over two months as the government is locked into peace negotiations.

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