Derry bakery manufacturer U-Bake is investing £1.6 million to expand production at its Skeoge Industrial Estate facility, with plans to create 15 jobs as demand grows from Irish foodservice customers.
The fourth-generation family business, known locally as McDaid’s Bakery, will install a high-speed production line and robotic packing equipment, and increase its freezing capacity. The upgrades are designed to cut downtime between production runs and allow the bakery to fulfil larger orders.
U-Bake supplies fresh and frozen bakery products to retailers, wholesalers and foodservice operators in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland. Managing director John McDaid said the bakery’s current capacity limits how much it can supply, particularly to Irish foodservice customers.
McDaid said the extra capacity would also help U-Bake bring new products to market more quickly, including specialist and plant-based bakery lines. The company plans to use the investment to meet growing demand in Ireland and pursue new customers in Britain and Europe.
Invest Northern Ireland has offered £210,000 towards the project through its Agri-Food Investment Initiative. The agency has supported U-Bake’s sales growth in the Republic since 2009, including the launch of frozen bakery products for the food-to-go market.
