Member Article

Barnsley family-run bakery in high demand at John Lewis and Asda

Barnsley-based family-run White’s Bakery has seen success with rising orders from the likes of John Lewis and Asda as well as sandwich shops, secondary schools and London cafes.

The fourth generation business has seen a steep increase in orders in the last four years and now has a turnover of £2.6 million and employs 56 people at its Worsbrough Bridge bakery and four South Yorkshire shops.

Whites’ business growth strategy is being supported by Enterprising Barnsley, a European-funded programme delivered by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council.

The family bakery business was established in 1934 by managing director David White’s grandparents Albert and Elsie White.

David’s dad and uncle, Jack and Colin, then joined the company and David took over as MD in 1996. His son Mathew is leading on the new marketing initiative to boost their expanding order books.

Recent new orders include a contract to design and bake Victorian gingerbread figures to celebrate John Lewis’ 150th anniversary.

More than 200,000 Madeira cakes baked by White’s will be on the shelves of Asda stores in Scotland and Northern Ireland in the run up to Christmas this year.

Fairtrade cookies sales have quadrupled in the last two years according to the firm. Most of the cookies are delivered to London’s universities, colleges and coffee shops again via a large wholesale supplier.

David White said: “We are always handling fresh enquiries and repeat orders and have an excellent relationship with our existing customers whether they are the local corner shop or a national food production company.

“We’ve had four straight years of growth, following the quieter years of recession, and what we’d like to do now is expand our customer base further. We have the capacity to expand so we are stepping up our marketing drive.”

Large wholesale orders are transported to food preparation and sandwich-making companies and niche goods are developed for customers too. For example, Whites’ bakers are currently developing a mini Eccles cake for a catering company which supplies big name airlines like Emirates.

Enterprising Barnsley is now supporting White’s with intensive specialist coaching to develop robust sales and marketing techniques and improved IT systems.

Enterprising Barnsley business development manager Shaun Higginbottom said: “This is an exciting time for White’s Bakery as it puts fresh impetus into its drive to seek new customers and explore new markets.

“White’s is a perfect example of a family firm which understands the value of its heritage but looks to the future too. We look forward to seeing the business expand and in the next few years, building on its first 80 years.”

Enterprising Barnsley is supported financially by the European Union and has attracted £2,259,511 investment from the European Regional Development Fund as part of Europe’s support for the region’s economic development, through the Yorkshire and Humber ERDF Programme.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .