Independent cake and dessert manufacturer Ministry of Cake is debating how to take the company abroad.

Managing director Chris Ormrod told British Baker that the move may involve exporting abroad or establishing a site abroad, but either way there is likely to be another UK site within the next four years. He estimated that Ministry of Pudding, the company’s second site which opened in September, will turn over £10m and the two sites combined will reach between £40m and £45m within three years. Ministry of Cake is currently running at 28% sales growth year on year.

“My heart tells me there will be another Ministry site in the UK within the next four years,” said Ormrod. “There is a lot going on in the bakery world and I think foodservice in general is back – it’s a vibrant sector.

“We have been fairly aggressive on the buy and build concept, though we are not pursuing that model any more – but we will open either here or abroad. Do we export or set up in another country? We do get enquiries to export and I wonder whether the time has come to look at it more seriously. We’d look at countries with around 45m people, affluent like the UK – even South Africa.”