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European bakery products manufacturer Baker & Baker has acquired Scottish-based free-from specialist Lazy Day Foods, expanding its presence in the free-from baked goods market and creating opportunities for international growth.

The acquisition will enable Baker & Baker to leverage its existing customer network and European footprint to expand Lazy Day Foods’ product offering and introduce its customer-facing brand to international markets.

Founded in 2006, Lazy Day Foods manufactures gluten-free, milk-free, egg-free and nut-free bakery products from a purpose-built factory in Harthill, North Lanarkshire. The business supplies branded and private label products to major UK retailers, as well as customers in the foodservice sector.

Its portfolio comprises approximately 75 permanent and seasonal product lines, including cakes, biscuits and traybakes. The company employs around 190 people at its 26,500 sq fy, BRCGS AA+ accredited facility.

Following the acquisition, Baker & Baker’s UK manufacturing footprint will increase to five sites, including its first in Scotland, while its total workforce will grow to 2,650 employees.

The Lazy Day Foods brand will be retained and actively marketed through Baker & Baker’s existing UK and international customer base.

The deal builds on Baker & Baker’s existing expertise in gluten-free bakery products, supported by its Ashington site and marks its expansion into the wider free-from category.

Matthew Acheson, CEO of Baker & Baker, said: “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.”

Acheson added that Baker & Baker was committed to maintaining operations and the employee base at the Harthill site, with plans to support the business’s future development.

Lazy Day Foods shareholders David Kilshaw, chairman and joint managing directors Emer Bustard and Dr Sally Beattie said Baker & Baker’s scale and international reach would help bring the brand to more free-from consumers.

The shareholders added that the Lazy Day brand and the Harthill facility would remain central to Baker & Baker’s category growth plans.

The acquisition is Baker & Baker’s second since becoming a standalone bakery products business, following its purchase of a Pastel de Nata production facility in Peniche, Portugal, in 2022.

The company supplies bakery products across retail, foodservice and artisan channels, with capabilities spanning doughnuts, muffins, brownies, cookies, cakes, speciality breads and viennoiserie.