Royal Visit for Successful Baker

The Earl of Wessex has visited a Dorset-based bakery to formally open its £1 million extension and refurbishment

Fudges Bakery invited the Earl to tour the factory after revamping its premises amid a successful sales period for the brand, with double-digit sales growth recorded.

This was driven by increased availability, strong trading over Easter and the introduction of over 1,000 new Fudges distribution points.

Steve Fudge, managing director of Fudges, said, “It was a huge honour to host His Royal Highness for the afternoon – what better way to mark the formal opening of the recent refurbishment than with a visit from the royalty. With record turnover and profitability forecast for 2012, it's the icing on the cake for what's turning out to be a really exciting year.”

The extension and renovations enabled Fudges to meet demand, with semi-automated production lines which will result in a 50% increase in production.