Jones Village Bakery reopens US$35.8M facility seven years later
The rebuilt site marks a major milestone for the Welsh family business and strengthens its capacity to supply bread products to customers across the United Kingdom.
UK – Jones Village Bakery has resumed production at a new £27 million (US$35.76M) facility in Wrexham, seven years after a devastating fire destroyed its former flagship bakery, marking a major milestone in the Welsh company’s recovery and expansion.
The state-of-the-art bakery, located on Wrexham Industrial Estate, the company has described as one of the most modern bakery facilities in Europe.
The fire in August 2019 severely damaged the bakery’s original production site, leaving the family-owned business facing a significant operational challenge.
Rather than scale back, Jones Village Bakery continued investing in its operations and expanded production at other facilities.
The company has since tripled its turnover and increased its workforce from about 500 employees at the time of the fire to more than 1,200 today.
The new facility forms part of the company’s wider investment programme and provides additional capacity for bread production while incorporating advanced equipment designed to improve efficiency, consistency and product development.
The bakery is equipped with next-generation machinery and has been designed with future innovation and new market opportunities in mind.
According to bakery manager Jac Griffiths, test runs at the new site began in July, and the facility has since moved into production for commercial sales.
The new equipment is intended to support consistent product quality while giving the business greater flexibility to develop new products and increase output.
The investment is also creating employment opportunities. The project has contributed to 75 additional jobs across the business, including 30 positions directly associated with the new bakery.
The company’s growth has also strengthened its role as a major employer in the Wrexham area, with economic benefits extending into its local supply chain and network of contractors.
The new bakery is part of a broader investment programme that includes a £20 million (US$26.5M) production line for bread and rolls at the company’s 140,000-square-foot flagship bakery on Ash Road.
Earlier plans indicated that the combined investments would support further production growth and create around 150 new jobs.
Jones Village Bakery CEO Simon Thorpe said restarting production on the site represented an important stage in the company’s recovery.
The business has emphasized that its rebuilding programme is not only about new technology but also about developing people and passing baking skills to the next generation.
Established in 1934, Jones Village Bakery produces bread, rolls, pies and other bakery products for customers across Wales and neighbouring regions of England.
The reopening strengthens its production base and positions the company for further expansion as it seeks to increase capacity and develop new bakery products.
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