UK bakery brand Warburtons has announced it will invest more than £100 million as it acquires the former Rathbones bakery site in Wakefield, which was owned by Morrisons.
It will also invest in new distribution capacity, as well as doubling the size of the gluten-free facility, and it will invest in three new bakery production lines within its current estate.
A deal was finalised with Myton Food Group to acquire the land, buildings and all the machinery at the former Rathbones bakery site for an undisclosed sum. Warburtons will invest in developing the currently closed site to produce Warburtons branded products.
The new site, which is set to become the 13th in the Warburtons family of bakeries, has been bought to support the growing consumer demand for the brand’s bakery products and to support future innovation.
More than 40 jobs across manufacturing, warehouse and distribution will initially be created once the site is fully operational, which is expected to be in September 2026.
Chairman Jonathan Warburton commented: “We’re extremely pleased to have agreed a deal on the former Rathbones site and look forward to welcoming new colleagues to the business very soon. Our family business takes a long-term approach, investing in our infrastructure to ensure we not only meet consumer needs today, but are set up to do so for the future.”
In addition to the investment in the new bakery in Wakefield, Warburtons is also investing in the development of a gluten free bakery in Newburn. The site, which has been the sole producing site of Warburtons Gluten Free range since it began in 2011, will continue to operate while undergoing major redevelopment, and the new bakery will be fully operational in the autumn of 2026.
Warburtons has also revealed it will invest in a new distribution centre at Biggleswade, which will aim to support its wider bakery and depot network to deliver products to more than 18,500 stores each day. The business has also invested in a new pancake line at its Bolton bakery, and two new crumpet lines at its bakery in Burnley.
