Lantmännen Unibake is poised for growth in the UK after seeing the official opening of a new 8,000sq m bakery dedicated to Danish pastry production.

The new purpose-built bakery in Bedford will employ about 150 people and will be able to produce more than 150 million Schulstad-branded Danish pastries a year. It is part of a £20m investment in the UK.

Although officially opened by the local mayor, production is not due to start for another two months. Products will be distributed to supermarkets and caterers by Bakehouse, acquired by Lantmännen in 2010.

Speaking in 2010, CEO Søren Landtved said: "The UK is Lantmännen Unibake’s single biggest market. We firmly believe that moving our production base from Denmark to a local UK site in Bedford will greatly benefit our overall growth opportunities within the UK."