Retailers are rapidly running out of Entenmann’s cakes as the brand’s Canadian owner works around the clock to find a new UK manufacturer.
Sales of Entenmann’s cakes, which were up 15% in the year to November 29, are worth £12.8m in the UK, and the brand has recently expanded into the freezer cabinets with the launch of ice cream cakes.
However, Hibernia Foods, which has held the European licence to make and sell
Entenmann’s products since 1998, was placed in receivership late last year and production of Entenmann’s products stopped just before Christmas.
Brand owner George Weston has so far failed to find an alternative supplier.
Somerfield said stocks were already starting to run out: “We are reviewing our stock levels, but we are running out of some lines and blocking orders of those no longer available. We haven’t been told anything.”
Nisa has run out of stock and stopped placing orders, while Asda said it was “reviewing the feasibility” of supplying the brand after experiencing “supply chain issues” in recent weeks.
Toronto-based George Weston, which bought Entenmann’s from Unilever’s Bestfoods division in 2001, has “no people on the ground in the UK” said a spokesman. “We don’t have any infrastructure in the UK. We have been exploring alternative facilities but there is nothing to report yet.”
Sales of Entenmann’s cakes, which were up 15% in the year to November 29, are worth £12.8m in the UK, and the brand has recently expanded into the freezer cabinets with the launch of ice cream cakes.
However, Hibernia Foods, which has held the European licence to make and sell
Entenmann’s products since 1998, was placed in receivership late last year and production of Entenmann’s products stopped just before Christmas.
Brand owner George Weston has so far failed to find an alternative supplier.
Somerfield said stocks were already starting to run out: “We are reviewing our stock levels, but we are running out of some lines and blocking orders of those no longer available. We haven’t been told anything.”
Nisa has run out of stock and stopped placing orders, while Asda said it was “reviewing the feasibility” of supplying the brand after experiencing “supply chain issues” in recent weeks.
Toronto-based George Weston, which bought Entenmann’s from Unilever’s Bestfoods division in 2001, has “no people on the ground in the UK” said a spokesman. “We don’t have any infrastructure in the UK. We have been exploring alternative facilities but there is nothing to report yet.”
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