Shipley bakery kickstarts £150k expansion plans

New jobs will be created in West Yorkshire as a Shipley bakery has appointed a contractor to commence work on its expansion plans.

Just Desserts has hired Bray Building Services to start work on site at its Shipley base, extending its facilities into Unit 4 on Station Road.

It has invested £150k into the project which will include the demolition of existing offices and staffroom space to extend the bakery’s footprint and freezer space by more than 60 per cent.

The project is due to complete mid-January 2020, creating new roles within the business’ operations and warehousing departments.

James O’Dwyer, managing director of Just Desserts, said: “We are delighted to appoint the team at Bray Building Services to implement our bakery expansion plans.

“They have built a great reputation both in their local area and in West Yorkshire and we were impressed with their professionalism, design approach and bespoke service offer.

“We are excited to be able to support our five-year growth strategy to deliver a future proofed bakery, as well as look after the health and wellbeing of our growing and loyal team with new staff facilities.”

Bray Building Services was established in 2012 by Daniel Bray. He said: “This project shows there is still strength in the manufacturing industry in the local area. Like James, we have come from small beginnings and this is why I believe the relationship will work well.

“We both understand the importance of working closely together to deliver this project, enabling Just Desserts to expand to meet the future demand for its amazing products.”

Just Desserts was awarded ‘Northern Craft Bakery of the Year’ in 2018, employs more than 30 staff and operates a fleet of delivery vans serving a foodservice and hospitality customer base across the North of England and the Midlands.