Warrens Bakery

Warrens Bakery’s new store in Birmingham opens on Thursday

Warrens Bakery, the world’s oldest Cornish pasty maker, is set to open its first franchise store outside the West Country.

The new store at Mere Green in Birmingham opens its doors tomorrow, and Warrens Bakery is currently in negotiations to further expand its 51-strong franchise in sites around the UK.

George Abuaita, who is running the Mere Green bakery, said he felt there was a “gap in the area” for a high-quality baking proposition.

“I’m positive the new bakery will fill this gap and we already have hopes to expand the number of bakeries across the West Midlands over the next few years.”

Mark Sullivan, chairman of Warrens Bakery, said it was “an extremely momentous occasion for all the team at Warrens Bakery”.

“We are delighted to be expanding our portfolio across the country and this marks a tremendously exciting time for the business,” he said. “We are delighted with the progress as we continue our expansion strategy. Our turnover has grown significantly in the past three years and we expect this to continue as we drive towards £20m/annum through organic developments and acquisitions.”

Sullivan added the company was planning to expand its production facility in St Just within the next 12 months. “However, this will not come at the expense of the quality and provenance, which Warrens Bakery’s products are renowned for,” said Sullivan. “We will continue to produce the best craft products as well as constantly innovating. We take great pride that when people purchase our goods they are receiving a handcrafted item made with passion and over 150 years of experience.”

Warrens Bakery was established in Cornwall in 1860 and opened its first store in Bristol last year.