Leeds manufacturer triples capacity with move to new facility

The new bakery plant will allow the brownie maker to triple its production and hire more staff as it seeks to expand operations.

More than £350,000 was spent on refurbishing the building over the past year, which is now fitted out with modern bakery equipment such as a portioning machine that can cut trays of brownies into individual portions without creating waste. This piece of machinery was funded by the Product, Process and Innovation (PAPI) fund at the University of York.

Founded in 2010, Brown & Blond was started by George Welton in his mum’s kitchen, and most recently operated out of a 1,200 square foot site in Wortley, Barnsley. The bakery uses real butter and Belgian chocolate in all of its processes, and its brownies are sent out on the same day as production.

Currently, it produces more than 60 different toppings that go alongside its core range of brownies, blondies and a vegan option, all of which are sold by independent retailers, in cafes and restaurants, and online. The manufacturer employs 12 members of staff and most recently posted £1.6m in turnover.

Brownies that create jobs

Welton described the feeling of being able to begin production at the new facility as “amazing​”.

“Our ambition has always been to make the best and most delicious brownies on the market, and this focus on quality has enabled us to grow organically over the last 13 years​,” Welton said.

“When these premises go full steam ahead it can make 100,000 brownies a week which will enable us to grow our stockists across the UK. My ambition is to ​build the wholesale businesses nationwide which will ultimately create more jobs and investment in the Leeds area​.”

To coincide the opening of its new facility, Brown & Blond is undergoing SALSA (Safe and Local Supplier Approval) accreditation. Aimed at small food and drink manufacturers, SALSA is a food-safety standard that reflects both the legal requirements of producers and the best practice expectations of food buyers.

In other news, Britvic Ireland has invested in its Ballygowan facility in order to expand capacity​​.