Cakebox revenue soars as new stores and acquisitions power growth

Cakebox’s revenue has soared by more than half, as new stores and the purchase of Asian sweetmaker Ambala power strong growth.

Revenues at the UK’s largest franchise cake retailer jumped 53.5% to £28.8m in the 26 weeks to 28 September 2025, with EBITDA up 31% to £4.5m as positive trading in the existing business was bolstered by the first contribution of Ambala to the group’s balance sheet.

The group, which now operates 284 stores across the UK, opened nine new Cake Box stores in the half and two Ambala franchise stores, helping bolster revenue. Like for like sales were also strong, up 6.3%.

Cake Box CEO Sukh Chamdal attributed the company’s strong performance to “sustained customer demand for our diverse product portfolio, the successful opening of nine new Cake Box stores and continuing strategic investments in our digital platform, which have significantly enhanced our online presence”.

Cake Box registered particularly strong growth online, where franchisee sales jumped 25.9% to £11.3m, now making up a quarter of all franchise store sales.

“With an encouraging pipeline for further expansion, we are well positioned to achieve our target of 25 more new Cake Box stores in FY26,” Chamdal added.

“Additionally, this period marks a maiden contribution from Ambala, following its acquisition by Cake Box in March 2025. We are pleased to report that the integration process is progressing smoothly, with a number of operational efficiencies already implemented.  

“We opened two new franchised Ambala stores during the period, with a further eight franchised openings planned by year end, significantly expanding the existing store footprint.

“Looking ahead, the momentum of the first half has continued into the second half of the year and we are on track to deliver full year performance in line with our expectations despite the consumer environment remaining challenging.”

While much of the company’s movement was positive, its acquisition of Ambala has weighed on its pre-tax profits, which fell 4.5% thanks largely to increased interest costs.