Family-run bakery business saved by billionaire

The bakery has been run by the Roberts family since it was founded in 1887

A 138-year-old family bakery business has been saved from closure after a rescue deal involving a food industry billionaire.

Boparan Private Office (BPO), owned by food processing entrepreneur Ranjit Boparan, is backing a management team takeover of the Cheshire-based Roberts Bakery.

A major fire at the firm's Northwich factory two years ago resulted in the loss of two-thirds of production capacity for more than a year.

At one stage more than 400 jobs were at risk and 86 workers have already taken voluntary redundancy.

'Many jobs saved'

A BPO spokeswoman said: "We are proud to play a part in preserving this iconic bakery, its people, and its heritage.

"Frank Roberts & Sons has been at the heart of the community for over a century, and we are committed to supporting its long-term success as Roberts Bakery 1887 Ltd."

A statement from the Roberts family said they were "profoundly relieved that the business has been saved by a consortium of the management team backed by BPO".

The family said "a recovery plan [will] ensure it can prosper and thrive and that so many jobs will be saved.

"We are of course sad it will no longer be us who are there to share in this new opportunity.

"It has been our utter privilege to have known so many of the people who have worked with us, and we wish you all our very best wishes for the future."

'Fantastic news'

Labour MP for Mid Cheshire Andrew Cooper said: "This is fantastic news for our community.

"Roberts Bakery has been at the heart of Northwich and Winsford for generations, and I'm delighted its future has been secured along with more than 400 local jobs.

"Over the past few weeks, I've been in regular contact with the company's management as they worked tirelessly to find a way forward."

Cooper said he was sorry that some jobs had been lost.

Roberts produces two million loaves of bread a week

Roberts Bakery 1887 Ltd will form part of the BPO portfolio of companies, owned by Mr Boparan.

His original firm, the West Bromwich-based 2 Sisters Food Group, began cutting and packing frozen retail meat portions.

News of Roberts' financial problems emerged in July when it said pressures caused by the fire were "compounded by unprecedented inflation since [Russia's] invasion of Ukraine, rising energy and ingredient costs, and intense competitor activity".

Roberts said it faced "significant" economic challenges including the fact that "bread volumes have not rebounded as anticipated" since the blaze.