DECEMBER

RHM division Manor Bake-ries said “Christmas has come early” for its troubled Mr Kipling brand this year, with record sales of Mr Kipling mince pies.

Associated British Foods said the market for gas is not operating as intended, as it complained of rising energy prices at its Annual General Meeting on December 9. Chairman Martin Adamson said the market for gas had “simply failed to operate in the way intended”.

Yorkshire family firm Thomas the Baker claims to have captured the secret of the perfect mince pie.

- Leicester-based Mayur Foods has achieved British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global Standard Grade A under the new BRC accreditation structure. Mayur Foods, which supplies products including filled naans and chapattis, previously had BRC Higher certification.

Griffin’s Bakery, one of the oldest bakeries in the west of Ireland, looks set to close when the building it occupies in the centre of Galway is sold early next year, writes Hugh Oram. The bakery occupies a prime high street location and a guide price of E10 million has been put on it for the sale by tender at the end of January.

Warburtons will start a new TV advertising campaign for its All in One Riddlers filled rolls in the new year.

A BAKERY company has been accused of a catalogue of abuse towards a former Polish employee, placed through a recruitment agency.

Leicester-based Geary’s Bakeries blamed rising fuel costs, as it made 18 redundancies last week, and restructured to boost profitability.

Economy bread sales declined by a dramatic 22.7% over the 12 months to July 2005, and now account for less than 2% of bread sales by value, says the new Warburtons Bakery Review 2005.

Administrators are considering a number of offers for Harvestime (2005), after setting a deadline for bids of today (Friday, December 16).

ASDA is creating a largely own-brand bakery range for a new model “discount convenience store”, to be trialled in Northampton in spring 2006.

Food giant RHM said its Bread Bakeries division had seen a 21.8% increase in operating profit, as it posted its maiden interim results this week.

Shopping Centre café operator BB’s Coffee and Muffins (Brentford, Middlesex) has developed a cranberry and white chocolate muffin for Christmas.

- Colin the caterpillar and other party cakes are among six products being recalled by Marks & Spencer over fears that they could cause choking. The retailer is asking customers to return the cakes after coloured plastic strands from a sieve, used for processing, were found in some lines.

Plant bakers are set to see record profits over the next year, top city analyst David Lang from Investec has predicted.

More than 500 slices of bread and toast were used to create what is believed to be the world’s tallest sandwich.

Carr’s Milling Industries said it has weathered storms and fire as it delivered annual results ahead of expectations last month.

Joseph Brennan Bakeries, Dublin, had a pre-tax loss of E19.5 million, according to accounts lodged at the Companies Registration Office for the year ended December 31, 2004, writes Ann Marie Foley.

Alan Willis (pictured far right) became the new Master of the Worshipful Company of Bakers at the annual Election Banquet, held at the Mansion House in London last week.

The Bon Bon Cake Shop has pulled off a notable double at the 2006 World Scotch Pie Championship, writes Ian Martin. During last week’s prize-giving ceremony at Dunfermline’s Lauder College, the Airdrie-based business was not only named World Scotch Pie Champion for 2006, but also picked up the top award in the bridie section.

Administrators hope to get the sale of Harvestime (2005) “wrapped up by Christmas”, as potential buyers start putting offers in.

A HIGH Court judge has reserved his decision in a legal battle over whether Melton Mowbray pork pies should be made only in Leicestershire.

British Bakeries has defen-ded its record on pest control, after two dead mice were found in a brown sliced loaf it supplied to Somerfield.