Baker & Baker acquires Lazy Day Foods
The acquisition will enable Baker & Baker to leverage its existing customer network and European footprint to expand Lazy Day Foods’ product offering and introduce its customer-facing brand to international markets.
UK – Baker & Baker has acquired Scottish-based specialist bakery producer Lazy Day Foods, strengthening its position in the growing free-from baked goods market and expanding its manufacturing footprint across the United Kingdom.
The acquisition will enable Baker & Baker to broaden its portfolio of specialist bakery products, leverage its established customer relationships and distribution network, and introduce Lazy Day Foods’ products to additional international markets.
The transaction’s financial details were not disclosed.
Founded in 2006 by food scientists Dr Sally Beattie and Emer Bustard, Lazy Day Foods has developed into one of the UK’s specialist manufacturers of free-from bakery products.
Its portfolio comprises approximately 75 permanent and seasonal product lines, including cakes, biscuits and traybakes manufactured without gluten, milk, eggs and nuts. The range also includes vegan bakery products.
The company operates from a purpose-built manufacturing facility in Harthill, North Lanarkshire, which opened in 2017.
Employing approximately 190 people, the facility supplies branded and private-label products to major UK retailers, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Waitrose, as well as foodservice customers.
Following the acquisition, Baker & Baker will retain the Lazy Day Foods consumer-facing brand and market its products through its existing UK and international customer networks.
The company has also committed to maintaining operations and employment at the Harthill manufacturing facility.
Matthew Acheson, Chief Executive Officer of Baker & Baker, said the acquisition would strengthen the group’s specialist bakery production capabilities, building on its existing gluten-free manufacturing expertise at its Ashington facility.
He added that combining Baker & Baker’s scale and customer relationships with Lazy Day Foods’ technical expertise would create opportunities to accelerate growth and expand its product offering within the free-from category.
The transaction also expands Baker & Baker’s UK manufacturing network to five facilities, marking its first manufacturing presence in Scotland.
The acquisition increases the group’s overall workforce to approximately 2,650 employees.
The deal is Baker & Baker’s second acquisition since becoming an independent bakery products business after separating from CSM Bakery Solutions in 2021.
Its previous acquisition was a pastel de nata manufacturing facility in Peniche, Portugal, in 2022.
The latest move reflects growing industry interest in specialist bakery categories, as manufacturers seek to diversify product portfolios and address consumer demand for gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan alternatives.
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