UK bakers Warburtons and Jacksons have signed a deal to supply bread to retailer The Co-op for its own-label range.
The arrangement is for William Jackson Food Group-owned Jacksons, based in Hull in north east England, to bake the bread, which will then be delivered to The Co-op’s stores across the UK through Warburtons’ logistics and distribution network.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The Co-op was in need of a new supplier and distributor for its bread after previous partner, Associated British Foods (ABF)’s Allied Bakeries unit, announced last July it would not be renewing the contract, describing it as a “challenging account” in terms of cost to serve with deliveries to thousands of stores widespread across the UK.
That contract ended this month and the new Warburtons/Jacksons deal comes into effect immediately.
The move sees Jacksons baking 14 products including a new 800g toastie loaf, Co-op's Honest Value range and a white & bran loaf.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataOwen Elliott, chief operating officer of Jacksons, said: "The William Jackson Food Group has a long history with Co-op and is closely aligned in terms of quality and values - it's great to be able to build on this relationship even further.
"A huge amount of work has gone into developing recipes for the new Co-op loaves, getting the factory ready for the additional business and setting up a logistics model to work with Warburtons."
Colin Bebbington, sales director at Warburtons, based in Bolton in north west England, said: "This partnership with Co-op will maximise our industry-leading distribution network to deliver freshly baked bakery products to its stores across the country."
Co-op's director of chilled food and bakery, Sinead Bell, said: "As a co-operative, collaboration is a corner-stone of approach and by working together we have been able to innovate and explore new ways to provide access to every day family essentials in our local communities."
