Village Bakery

What Village Bakery does

Village Bakery (legally The Village Bakery (Wrexham) Limited, trading as Jones' Village Bakery) is a privately-held, family-founded Welsh bakery manufacturer headquartered in Wrexham, UK. Established in 1934 as Edwards Bakery and acquired by the Jones family in 1964, the business operates a multi-facility production model centred on the 140,000 sq ft Ash Road super bakery, the dedicated 70,000 sq ft Gluten Freedom gluten-free bakery, the Coedpoeth/Minera original site, a sourdough bakery, and a planned replacement bakery at the site of a devastating August 2019 fire. Core products include bread and rolls (sourdough, Welsh Batch loaf), pies and pastries, pancakes, bagels, scones, crumpets, and Welsh Cakes, produced on capital-intensive bespoke equipment — an 85-metre £16m sourdough line with 38-hour natural fermentation and Italian marble baking beds, a £2m US-imported pancake line producing 34,000 pancakes per hour, and a £28m fire-replacement facility.

The company operates a B2B private-label manufacturing model as its primary revenue stream, producing bespoke bakery products for major UK retailers including Marks & Spencer (14-year relationship, 600+ stores), Tesco, Sainsbury's, and Waitrose, with a dedicated Baking Academy and Innovation Centre supporting retailer-led NPD. A secondary revenue stream comes from regional own-brand sales of Jones' Village Bakery products, alongside a growing export business (France, Belgium, Holland, and an Australian pancake contract) that scaled from £1.5m to £5m in 2023. Distribution is via direct fleet delivery to UK retailers and direct sales to international accounts, with food-service supply to Wrexham AFC stadium catering as a tertiary channel. Limerston Capital holds a minority stake following a 2021 investment that funded the £115m rebuild and expansion programme, while the Jones family retains majority ownership and operational control under Managing Director Robin Jones, Projects Director Christien Jones, and CEO Simon Thorpe.

Name

Village Bakery

Legal name

THE VILLAGE BAKERY (WREXHAM) LIMITED

Website

https://villagebakery.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Village Bakery (Jones' Village Bakery) is a privately-held Welsh bakery manufacturer producing private-label bread, sourdough, pancakes, pies, and gluten-free products for major UK retailers (M&S, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose) and exporting to Europe and Australia from its 1,050-person Wrexham-based operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Bakery Products

NAICS

Commercial Bakeries (311812), Bread and Bakery Product Manufacturing (31181)

SIC

Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Bakery Manufacturing (Gluten-Free, Artisan, Health-Focused) (AFAKAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Dietary Bakeries (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Allergen-Friendly) (THAFAFAI), Frozen & Par-Baked Bakery Production (THAFAFAK)

Keywords

• Commercial bakery products
• Private label bakery
• Artisanal bread manufacturing
• Gluten free bakery
• Premium morning goods

Headquarters

HQ city

Wrexham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Private Label Manufacturing: Village Bakery produces bakery products for major UK retailers under their private label brands. They supply M&S, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and other retailers with premium private label bakery products including bread, morning goods, pies, and gluten-free products. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Own Brand Products: Jones' Village Bakery branded products sold regionally through various retail channels, including their own bakery products sold under the Village Bakery brand name.
3. Export Sales: Growing export business selling products to European markets including France, Belgium, Holland. Exports increased from £1.5 million in previous year to £5 million in 2023, with plans to more than triple. Products include American-style pancakes and sourdough breads.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Village Bakery manufactures and supplies premium private label baked goods (bread, rolls, pies, pastries, morning goods, gluten-free products, pancakes, bagels and scones) to major UK retailers including M&S, Tesco, Sainsbury's and Waitrose, alongside its own Jones' Village Bakery brand sold regionally and into food service. Production combines traditional craft baking with state-of-the-art automated lines, including a dedicated 70,000 sq ft gluten-free facility and full in-house new product development.

Product overview

Village Bakery (operated by Jones' Village Bakery) is a family-owned Welsh bakery business that produces a diverse portfolio of baked goods. The company operates on a multi-facility model with distinct production units: the Ash Road Super Bakery (flagship 140,000 sq ft facility), Gluten Freedom (dedicated gluten-free bakery), Coedpoeth/Minera bakery, and the new Sourdough bakery. Product categories include Bread and Rolls (featuring sourdough and Welsh Batch loaf), Pies and Pastries (including the signature steak pie and Wrexham Lager pie), Gluten Free range, and Bakery Treats such as Welsh Cakes, crumpets, scones, and pancakes. The company also operates a Baking Academy for training and an Innovation Centre/NPD Kitchen for product development, supplying major UK retailers including M&S, Tesco, Sainsbury's, and Waitrose under both retailer private label and their own Jones' Village Bakery brand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gluten Freedom: Dedicated gluten-free bakery brand and production site operating within the Village Bakery group.

Products and services

• Bread and Rolls Traditional and artisanal bread and roll products including the signature Welsh Batch loaf and sourdough varieties, produced using craft baking techniques and Village Bakery's 85-metre state-of-the-art sourdough production line. Sold to major UK retailers under private label and to regional consumers under the Jones' Village Bakery brand.
• Pies and Pastries Range of award-winning pies and pastries including steak pie, Steak and Wrexham Lager Pie, and sausage rolls made with premium Welsh beef and traditional recipes. Supplied to UK retailers as private label and used in food service channels such as Wrexham AFC stadium catering.
• Gluten Free Bakery Products Dedicated gluten-free product range produced in a 70,000 sq ft 'Gluten Freedom' facility physically separated from main production. Caters to customers with coeliac disease and gluten intolerance and is supplied to major UK retailers under private label.
• Bakery Treats Morning goods and bakery treats including crumpets, scones, Welsh Cakes and seasonal products, produced in dedicated scone and related facilities and supplied to UK retailers and regional consumers.
• Pancakes Wide range of pancakes from small Scotch pancakes to 7-inch American buttermilk pancakes, in flavours including Sicilian lemon, chocolate, butterscotch and Percy Pig, plus high protein and high fibre variants. Produced on a dedicated £2m line capable of 75 million pancakes per year for UK retailers and export markets including Europe and Australia.
• Bagels Bagel products manufactured in a dedicated bagel bakery facility within the Village Bakery group, supplied to UK retailers.
• Jones' Village Bakery Own-Brand Range The company's own branded product line sold regionally in North Wales and surrounding areas, featuring traditional Welsh bakery products including Welsh Cakes, signature breads and other craft items.

Quantifiable outcome

• 700 new jobs created following £115m investment after devastating 2019 fire
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Wrexham LagerminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 November 2021Collaboration to create Steak and Wrexham Lager Pie served at Wrexham AFC Racecourse. Partnership between two local food heritage brands. Wrexham Lager supplies amber nectar for rich gravy in premium Welsh beef pie. Packaging features both company logos and red/white scarf design.
• North Wales Wildlife TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial conservation partners for Erlas Black Wood - 6-acre ancient woodland next to bakery. Joint initiative to conserve woodland that was medieval hunting parkland. Created nature trail, wildlife ponds, and allotments for staff. M&S CEO pledged £10,000 donation during visit to further develop woodland as community amenity.
• Coleg CambriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFurther education college partnership delivering apprenticeship qualifications. Practical training run by bakery specialist Paul Andrew who is qualified assessor. Partnership delivers Level 2 and Level 3 bakery qualifications. Apprentices work in test kitchen learning craft baking and theory.
• UK Department for Business and Trade / Welsh GovernmentcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerExport promotion partnership as part of UK Government trade missions. Commercial officers from 15 countries visited bakery as part of week-long UK tour. Village Bakery was one of only two Welsh producers chosen as champions of the sector. Officers return to respective countries with relationships to enable export sales.
• Harper Adams UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with university for scholarship program and placement students. £3,000-per-year scholarship for food technology students. First recipient Jo Flower started placement. Amy Wickham, former Harper Adams student, masterminded scholarship scheme and now works as NPD technologist at bakery.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Warburtons: UK's largest bakery brand and private label bread manufacturer. A broad incumbent with national retailer relationships and significantly greater scale than Village Bakery, competing directly for UK private label and branded bread shelf space.
• Hovis (Premier Foods): Premier Foods' Hovis business is a major UK bread and bakery manufacturer with deep ties to UK grocers. Competes head-on with Village Bakery for private label and premium bread contracts at Tesco, Sainsbury's, and M&S.
• Allied Bakeries (Kingsmill): UK's largest private label bread baker (Kingsmill, Allinson's, Sunblest, Burgen). Directly comparable as a private label bread specialist supplying the same Big Four grocers Village Bakery serves.
• Aryzta: Global bakery business with a significant UK/European private label footprint. Comparable as a private label bakery supplier to major retailers with differentiated frozen and ambient capabilities.

Direct peers

• Finsbury Food Group: AIM-listed UK specialty bakery group producing cakes, breads, and artisan bakery products for major UK retailers under private label. Closest publicly visible peer in business model, customer base, and product mix.
• Baker & Baker (formerly UK Bakery): European private label bakery manufacturer (cakes, breads, morning goods) supplying major grocery and foodservice customers. Direct peer in private label contract manufacturing, scale, and category breadth.
• Frank Roberts & Sons: Family-owned North West England bakery producing bread, morning goods, and private label products for major UK retailers. Closely comparable as a regional, family-run private label bakery at similar scale.

Emerging players

• Délifrance: European bakery group specializing in viennoiserie, breads, and patisserie for foodservice and retail private label. Comparable in the premium/artisan segment Village Bakery targets with its sourdough and pancake lines.
• St Pierre Groupe: UK-based premium bakery group (St Pierre, Baker Street) supplying major UK and international retailers. Comparable in branded and private label premium bakery positioning.

Regional players

• Lantmännen Unibake: European bakery group (part of Lantmännen) with significant UK private label bread and pastry operations. Comparable in pan-European private label supply and sourdough/artisan capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bornandbaked

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Village Bakery