Shipley bakery Just Desserts has bounced back 'better than ever'

Trading 10 per cent ahead of like for like sales in 2019 when the firm also saw a 33 per cent uplift, the rise has come despite the challenges face by the foodservice and hospitality markets due to Covid.

The bakery, founded and run by husband and wife team James and Carol O’Dwyer, completed a £160,000 expansion project into another unit at its Station Road base to future proof the site just as the country was locked down in March 2020.

The investment spanned building works to extend the bakery footprint by more than 60 per cent, new equipment, a larger freezer and increased storage capacity, as well as a new product development area, improved staffroom and facilities and a meeting room on a new mezzanine floor.

Following its most challenging year of trading during the height of the pandemic in 2020, the bakery is now on the rise again with a stronger team, new products, new equipment, including a new cheesecake crumb press worth £12,000 to improve productivity and plans for further growth.

Capitalising on the burgeoning vegan bakes market and its successful vegan product range which includes cakes, brownies and oatie crumbles, Just Desserts is set to launch its latest vegan addition – a spicy ginger tray bake cake which has already picked up a prestigious two star award in this year’s Great Taste Awards.

Kate Williams, general manager of Just Desserts, with the firm's new vegan product, a spicy ginger tray bake cake

Just Desserts has also appointed its first general manager, welcoming back Kate Williams, who was the business development manager for the company from 2010 to 2012.

She joins from AJ Pies & Pasties of Huddersfield, where she was business development manager. Kate will oversee the daily business operations, develop growth strategies and manage staff, supporting MD James O’Dwyer and the senior management team.

The production team has also grown to 20-strong with the appointment of four new bakers, a new driver has also joined the firm.

James O’Dwyer, MD of Just Desserts said: “As with so many businesses, the pandemic created some extraordinary difficulties and challenges for us and we are delighted to have been able to cope with them and in fact bounce back better than ever.

“Our new look bakery is more streamlined, allowing improved productivity and we have a very strong bakery team in place to help meet the increasing demand for our products.

“Our latest product launch complements our Vegan product offer, which is seeing strong demand from customers who are looking to serve a wider Vegan product range in their cafes, farm shops and restaurants. We are confident this will be another fantastic addition to this growing market.”

Just Desserts was founded on a £40-a-week enterprise allowance more than 36 years ago by James and Carol O’Dwyer. The business has evolved from James baking cakes in a unit in Salts Mill to producing a handcrafted product range of 130 different lines.

The award winning bakery supplies direct to the foodservice industry with a customer base spanning cafes, garden centres, farm shops, visitor attractions, restaurants, desserts bars, pubs hotels and wholesalers across the North of England and the Midlands.

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@telegraphandargus.co.uk