Thu, 16 Oct 2025 | BUSINESS SALE
Roberts Bakery, a £76 million-turnover bakery business dating back to the 1880s, has been rescued after filing a notice of intention to appoint administrators last week. More than 430 jobs have been saved at the bakery following investment from 2 Sisters Food Group founder and owner Ranjit Singh Boparan.
Cheshire-based Roberts Bakery can trace its roots back to 1887, but has faced mounting pressure over recent years, amidst fallout from COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, rising energy and ingredient costs, the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and a major fire at one of its facilities.
As a result, Roberts Bakery filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators on October 6, with a spokesperson saying at the time that it was in discussion with several third parties over a potential rescue and was optimistic of a positive outcome.
Boparan Private Office (BPO), Boparan’s private investment firm, has created a new company, Roberts Bakery 1887 Limited, to carry out the investment. A BPO spokesperson stated: “Frank Roberts & Sons has been at the heart of the community for over a century, and we are committed to supporting its long-term success as Roberts Bakery 1887 Ltd.”
Roberts Bakery said that the new partnership would “support the existing management team and bring new talent into the business” in order to ensure a sustainable and successful future.
The rescue will also see the Roberts family step aside following four generations leading the company. The family said in a statement that they were “profoundly relieved that the business has been saved by a consortium of the management team backed by BPO and that there will be a recovery plan to ensure it can prosper and thrive and that so many jobs will be saved.”
In the year to August 31 2024, Frank Roberts & Sons Limited, trading as Roberts Bakery, reported turnover of close to £76.1 million. This, however, was a significant drop from around £96 million the previous year, while the group’s operating losses widened from around £12.7 million to more than £35.4 million.
At the time, Roberts Bakery’s fixed assets were valued at £53.2 million and current assets at approximately £25.5 million, while net assets amounted to around £30.4 million.
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