Mondelēz International’s corporate venture capital arm, SnackFutures Ventures, has taken a minority stake in Urban Legend, a “better-for-you” fresh doughnut and pastry business based in the UK. Founded in 2021 by scientist and entrepreneur Anthony Fletcher, Urban Legend uses a custom designed and patented air frying technology to reduce sugar, fat and calories by 30-75 […]
Category: Bakery News
The Shelby Report covers the bakery category for grocery retailers nationwide, from in-store bakery trends and artisan bread programs to packaged baked goods, supplier announcements and merchandising strategies. Updated regularly across our five regional editions.
See more bakery coverage in Focus on Fresh: Bakery.
Platinum Equity and Butterfly Acquire Rise Baking Co.
Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Rise Baking Co. has been acquired by global investment firms Platinum Equity and Butterfly. Founded in 2013, Rise Baking Co. is a provider of cookies, pies, cakes, icings, muffins and crispy bars in North America to retail bakeries, foodservice operators and distributors. Rise will continue to operate under its current management team, led by CEO Brian […]
St Pierre ‘Putting The Consumer First,’ Continuing To Educate
Sarah Boddy, managing director for St Pierre at Grupo Bimbo, recently spoke to the The Griffin Report about the company’s journey and how it is helping retailers navigate inflation and other industry challenges. “When we launched into the U.S. market…nobody knew what brioche was,” Boddy said. “We had a big job in educating the customers […]
Tops Unveils New Artisan Breads
Tops Friendly Markets has introduced new artisan breads – designed to enhance sandwiches, appetizers and table breads – at participating stores. They are available in seven flavors – Rosemary Sea Salt, Kalamata Olive, Asiago, Roasted Garlic, Pugliese, Ciabatta and Baguette – though the variety may vary by location. Created in partnership with Buffalo-based Rich Products, the collection is a “perfect example […]
IDDBA Combines Teams, Promotes Atkins
The International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA) has combined its marketing and membership teams and promoted Whitney Atkins as VP of the newly formed marketing and membership department. “Since joining the association, Whitney has led marketing efforts that have produced event and membership growth, while working hard for the association’s endeavors to support the industry […]
T. Marzetti Co. Introduces New York Bakery Gluten Free Texas Toast
T. Marzetti Company, a subsidiary of Ohio-based Lancaster Colony Corp., is introducing a gluten-free line of New York Bakery Texas Toast. The offering features gluten-free versions of the brand’s classic Garlic Texas Toast and Five Cheese Texas Toast. Both products will be available nationwide this fall. With more than a decade of recipe and production […]
Legacy Bakehouse Acquires Assets Of Angelic Bakehouse
Legacy Bakehouse has completed its acquisition of Angelic Bakehouse in Cudahy, Wisconsin, a unit of T. Marzetti Co. The asset purchase enables Legacy Bakehouse to grow its core business while adding new customers and product categories. The Angelic facility is a 4-acre location with 42,000 square feet of production space. Built as a commercial bakery […]
Big Y Appoints New VPs Of Fresh Foods, Center Store
Big Y Foods has named John P. Fraro as VP of fresh foods, while Steve Nordstrom has been appointed as VP of center store. Both report to Michael R. Cormier, SVP of sales and marketing. “Our people are and always will be the heart of our company. They foster and grow our culture of caring, continuous […]
Bob Evans, Thomas’ Offer Customer Promotion During National Breakfast Month
Bob Evans is partnering with Thomas’ to celebrate National Breakfast Month in September with a consumer promotion. Through Oct. 31, consumers who buy one Bob Evans Sausage, Bob Evans Liquid Egg Whites, Simply Potatoes or Owens Sausage product and one Thomas’ Bagels or English Muffins product will be eligible to get $2 cash back via Venmo […]
Bakery Report Highlights Focus On Health, Wellness, Sustainability
The U.S. bakery products market is expected to reach a value of $86.93 billion by 2029, from $78.96 billion in 2023, growing at a CAGR of 1.62 percent from 2023-29, according to a new “U.S. Bakery Product Market – Focused Insights 2024-2029” report from ResearchAndMarkets.com. The report consists of exclusive data on 28 vendors. The market’s competitive […]
Flowers Foods Names Wiktorowski To Lead Retail Customer Sales
Flowers Foods Inc. has named Meredith Wiktorowski as SVP and chief customer officer. Reporting to Chief Growth Officer Terry Thomas, Wiktorowski is responsible for sales strategy and growing Flowers Foods’ revenue, market share, profitability and reputation with retail customers nationwide. “Meredith brings extensive experience catering to retail grocers of all sizes, robust strategic sales acumen […]
Tom Cat Bakery Introduces Artisan Japanese Milk Breads
Tom Cat Bakery has introduced its latest innovation: a line of artisanal Japanese Milk Bread products for retail and foodservice customers. Developed in collaboration with Japan’s Yamazaki Baking, these breads merge authentic Japanese baking traditions with Tom Cat’s American artisan standards. Before Japanese milk bread became popular, Tom Cat Bakery embarked on developing the best milk bread in […]
St Pierre Highlights Success Bringing French Brioche To U.S.
St Pierre continues to grow across the U.S., helped in part by the backing of Grupo Bimbo, according to Rachel Wells, commercial director. In a recent interview with The Griffin Report, Wells recounted how the company was acquired by Grupo Bimbo in October 2022. She said that development has allowed St Pierre to retain its […]
In-Store Bakeries Offer More Than Just Flavor For Consumers
Part two of a series of articles highlighting in-store bakery trends that The Shelby Report will be covering throughout the year. More than just flavor With in-store bakery purchases taste is a top driver but industry experts say retailers should not underestimate the role indulgence plays with in-store bakery purchases. As one expert noted, in-store bakeries […]
Rich’s Highlights Ready Cakes, Portfolio Of Hispanic Products
Rich’s, a family-owned company providing foodservice and retail products to in-store bakery, deli and prepared foods, showcased some of its new products and innovations at the recent IDDBA Show in Houston. Rachel McCrone, director of customer marketing for in-store bakery and deli for Rich’s, talked with The Shelby Report’s Maggie Kaeppel on the show floor. […]
Irresistible Food Group, The Killer Brownie Co. Partner For Growth
Irresistible Foods Group Inc. (IFG) and the IFG Restaurant Group have formed a strategic partnership with The Killer Brownie Co. to accelerate future growth in the Killer Brownie brand. Killer Brownie is most well-known for the brand’s flavors and textures of its premium brownies. It was founded by Dorothy Lane Market CEO Norman Mayne in 1988 and was […]
Bimbo Bakehouse Lines Designed For Making Meals Memorable
A current that seemed to run through the IDDBA show this year was looking at food as more than just sustenance; instead, as an experience, an occasion, a part of one’s life that brings enjoyment. Bimbo Bakehouse’s Dana Strain and Brandi Unchester shared some breads from the company’s portfolio that are more experience-focused. The company […]
AWG’s Best Choice Introduces New Look For Fresh Perimeter Products
Best Choice, the flagship of AWG’s private brands portfolio, is enhancing its presence in fresh perimeter departments – including bakery, produce, meat and seafood – with a new look and product innovations. “We want to develop products that people are proud to put in their carts and that help AWG member retailers differentiate themselves from […]
Grupo Bimbo Reports 93% Of Packaging Made From Recyclable Materials
Grupo Bimbo has launched its 2023 annual report: “Behind our Actions.” The document shows the progress of the business and the objectives of the bakery company’s sustainability strategy for 2030 and 2050. Among the highlights of its “Baked For Nature” priority, where the bakery works on regeneration, growth, circularity and creating a positive impact on […]
Top Trends We Noticed At IDDBA 2024
Sponsored content This year, the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association brought its annual tradeshow to Houston, Texas for three busy days. IDDBA filled the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston with thousands of exhibits and dozens of learning sessions about innovations and best practices in the industry. In case you couldn’t make it – […]
