Member Article

Ashington bakers sign partnership for Northern rollout

Ashington-based Bakers Pantry is expanding its presence throughout the region, forming a new partnership with Lakes & Dales Co-operative.

The business will supply produce to the store’s takeaway bakery counters, initially available in two Lakes & Dales stores in Seaton Delaval.

Lakes & Dales Co-operative is part of Scottish co-operative group Scotmid, which operates 350 retail outlets across Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North of England.

Formed when Scotmid merged with Penrith Co-operative in 2013, a following merger with Seaton Valley Co-operative in 2015 brought a further two stores into the portfolio and the company now has nine stores in Cumbria, County Durham and Northumberland.

Bakers Pantry came into being in 2015 when it bought and rebranded historic bakery business Donkins of Ashington.

Following a programme of store upgrading and refurbishment it now has four outlets in Ashington, one in Seaton Delaval and one in Morpeth, as well as a wholesale bakery business supplying local hospitals and schools.

A sixth retail store offering will open shortly at Lakes & Dales Co-operative in Wheatridge, Seaton Delaval. Bakers Pantry plans to open further retail stores across the region and build a new bakery facility to support its growth.

David Crook, Managing Director of Bakers Pantry, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Lakes & Dales. They place a strong emphasis on providing customers with local products like ours and we share the same passion for quality, freshness and customer service.”

Stephen Brown of Lakes & Dales Cooperative commented: “Fresh bakery items are a really important part of our offer – our customers value the convenience of buying their favourite baked goods, savouries and cakes at their local grocery store. Bakers Pantry is an ideal partner for us – they have an excellent product range which is well-known and loved in the North East.”