The Village Bakery has added £600,000-worth of state of the art equipment at its site in North Wales.

The new production line at the Minera site, near Wrexham, also means the creation of 26 jobs.

More than 300 people are already employed across the company’s three bakeries, two of which are on Wrexham Industrial Estate where work has just started on building its new £3m Baking Academy and Innovation Centre.

The new production line is being used to make pancakes and pikelets, a regional variation of the crumpet which was developed in Wales in the 17th century before spreading to the West Midlands, Chester, Lancashire and Yorkshire.

Robin Jones, managing director, said “The new production line and hotplate here in Minera has enabled us to make a fantastic range of pancakes and pikelets.

“We had always expected they would do well and the production line is now running seven days a week. The sales have just sky rocketed - we’re making 400,000 pikelets a week and 300,000 pancakes a week. 

“These are really exciting times for the Village Bakery and the Baking Academy will enable us to create the next generation of bakers.”

Ken Skates, assembly member for Clwyd South, said: “The Village Bakery is an incredible place. There is so much technology but at the same time they have a clear focus on craft skills which enables them to make craft products on a wide scale.”