Bako Group Acquires Finlay’s Food

Bako Group Limited announced the acquisition of James A.S. Finlay (Holdings) Limited (Finlay’s Food), for an undisclosed amount. The deal was brokered by Oghma Partners, the corporate finance house to the consumer industries.

Founded in 1976 and based in Craigavon, Northern Ireland, Finlay’s Food has grown to be a leading name in the Irish bakery trade. The business manufactures and supplies ingredients to the bakery and general food industry, with its customer base extending throughout Northern Ireland and into the Republic of Ireland, as well as the wider UK, Europe and Asia.

Founded 60 years ago, BAKO is recognised as a key organization within the UK bakery industry supply chain and is owned by over 694 shareholders, all of whom are bakers. BAKO provides independent bakers and caterers with a wide range of ingredients and finished products from quality suppliers, as well as its own BAKO Select branded range, through its depots in Preston, Durham and Wimbledon, employing 312 people across all three sites.

Bako CEO, Mike Tully, said: “This acquisition opens up new markets for us in Northern Ireland and beyond, offering significant growth opportunities. Finlay’s Foods has established a strong presence and loyal customer base, which we intend to build upon and expand. By integrating Finlay’s Foods’ product line with our own, we are able to diversify our offerings and enhance our competitive edge. Their expertise in bakery products complements our current portfolio and opens up a wide range of cross-selling opportunities.”

Patrick Gracey, Sales Director of Finlay’s Foods, said: “We are excited that Finlay’s Foods is now part of the BAKO Group. Finlay’s have had a long-standing relationship with Bako both as a customer and supplier for over 20 years. This is a natural evolution that benefits both companies and will enable us to build on our customer focused approach, facilitating the delivery of more choice opportunities and benefits to our loyal customer base.”