Warburtons to buy closed Rathbones Bakery Plant

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Warburtons is to acquire the erstwhile Rathbones bakery successful nan UK arsenic portion of a wider finance programme of much than £100m ($135.1m). 

In a statement, nan bakery group said it has agreed a woody pinch Myton Food Group, nan manufacturing limb of retailer Morrisons, for nan land, buildings and machinery astatine nan closed tract successful Wakefield, bluish England.  

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The installation will go Warburtons’ 13th bakery. 

The acquisition follows Morrisons’ closure of nan loss-making Rathbones plant in January arsenic portion of a restructuring exercise. 

Rathbones had been nether reappraisal by Morrisons since precocious 2024. 

Warburtons, which sells Toastie bread, bagels, and crumpets, plans to reopen nan works to make branded products. It did not disclose nan purchasing value for nan facility.

Jonathan Warburton, chairman of nan group, said: “We are highly pleased to person agreed a woody connected nan erstwhile Rathbones tract and look guardant to welcoming caller colleagues to nan business very soon.” 

The family-owned business said nan Wakefield tract is expected to create much than 40 jobs crossed manufacturing, warehousing and distribution erstwhile it becomes operational successful September. 

Alongside nan Wakefield deal, Warburtons is doubling nan size of its gluten-free bakery successful Newburn and adding a caller distribution centre successful Biggleswade. 

The institution is besides installing 3 accumulation lines crossed its existing network: a pancake statement successful Bolton and 2 crumpet lines successful Burnley. 

The Newburn redevelopment is owed to beryllium completed successful nan autumn.  

“The caller lines will support merchandise invention and alteration Warburtons to meet nan increasing user demand,” Warburtons said. 

The latest programme follows Warburtons’ purchase of nan erstwhile Roberts Bakery tract successful Ilkeston.  

The woody comes amid wider consolidation successful nan UK bakery sector.   

Last month, the UK’s competition watchdog provisionally cleared Associated British Foods’ move to acquire bread rival Hovis. 

In October, Roberts Bakery successful Northwich was rescued by Ranjit Singh Boparan’s private-investment company.