Baker & Baker has acquired Scottish free-from bakery specialist Lazy Day Foods in a move designed to strengthen its position in the expanding specialised baked goods market. The deal adds a well-established allergen-free business to Baker & Baker’s portfolio and creates further opportunities across the UK and international markets.
Lazy Day Foods began trading in 2006 as a dedicated free-from bakery manufacturer. Its range excludes gluten, milk, eggs and nuts, responding to growing food and drink consumer trends around allergen avoidance, dietary choice and inclusive product development.
Over the past two decades, the North Lanarkshire-based company has developed into one of the UK’s leading specialist free-from bakeries. In 2017, it relocated to a purpose-built production facility in Harthill, where it now manufactures around 75 permanent and seasonal products.
The company supplies both branded and private-label goods to major UK retailers, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Waitrose. It also serves foodservice customers, giving Baker & Baker access to additional channels as food distribution trends continue to evolve.
Approximately 190 employees work at the Harthill site. Baker & Baker said the facility and its workforce will remain in place following completion of the transaction. The Lazy Day Foods brand will also continue, supported by increased exposure among Baker & Baker’s existing UK and overseas customers.
The acquisition reflects wider food manufacturing trends, including rising demand for free-from and vegan products. It also gives Baker & Baker an opportunity to apply its wider capabilities in food processing technology, food and drink packaging and food and drink marketing to the Lazy Day Foods business.
Matthew Acheson, CEO of Baker & Baker, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Lazy Day Foods into the Baker & Baker family.
“We have strong expertise in gluten-free bakery via our Ashington site, and this acquisition supports our expansion into the adjacent category of ‘free-from’, which represents an exciting area of growth.”
He continued: “We believe that our scale and broad customer relationships will accelerate the growth of Lazy Day Foods, while Lazy Day Foods’ deep experience and expertise will further enhance our capabilities and category offering.
“We’re firmly committed to maintaining the operation and employee base at the Lazy Day Foods site in Harthill, and we expect to see the business continue to flourish. We’re excited about the growth possibilities over the coming years.”
Once the acquisition is complete, Baker & Baker will operate five UK manufacturing locations. Harthill will represent the group’s first production site in Scotland, while the combined workforce will rise to approximately 2,650 employees.
The transaction is Baker & Baker’s second acquisition since the company became an independent bakery products business. In 2022, it purchased its Pastel de Nata manufacturing facility in Peniche, Portugal.
The deal also underlines the importance of food and drink industry innovation as manufacturers respond to changing customer expectations. Alongside free-from demand, businesses across the sector continue to assess food and drink sustainability, changing food and drink regulations and the need for clearer product positioning.
Lazy Day Foods shareholders David Kilshaw, chairman, and joint managing directors Emer Bustard and Dr Sally Beattie commented: “We are immensely proud of what Lazy Day Foods has become since it was founded in 2006. Our mission has always been to make great-tasting free-from and vegan treats so that no one missed out on the joys of everyday life. We’d like to thank our fantastic team in Harthill, and our customers and suppliers, for their support over the years.
“In Baker & Baker, we have found the ideal owner to take the business forward. They have the scale, expertise and international reach to bring Lazy Day to many more free-from shoppers.
They added: “We are delighted that the Lazy Day brand and our Harthill site will be at the heart of Baker & Baker’s free-from growth plans, and we’re confident the business and its people have a very bright future ahead.”
