SCOTS wholesaler Company Bakery which supplies to top Scottish businesses is making a six-figure investment in relocating to East Lothian.
The award-winning bakery wholesaler has outgrown its current west Edinburgh premises and will put down new roots at Eskmills business campus in Musselburgh.
Company Bakery, which produces more than 10,000 loaves and pastries a week, will be able to increase production at the 6,000 square-foot site.
Staff numbers are also expected to increase from the current 26 as the business recruits locally to expand out of its central Scotland stronghold.
The wholesaler supplies to some of Scotland’s leading businesses including cheesemonger I J Mellis, restaurant Martin Wishart and The Balmoral Hotel.
Centred around a picturesque courtyard, Eskmills consists of 10 historic buildings and is located on the site of the former fishing net manufacturer J W Stuart.
More than 500 people are employed on the office campus working in various sectors including tourism, tech, health and property management.
The onsite facilities include a conference and events centre, a gym, and the popular restaurant Crolla’s Italian Kitchen.
Eskmills is located close to the Edinburgh City Bypass which will allow Company Bakery to develop new delivery routes.
The combination of a growing food scene and an upsurge in new housing developments across East Lothian were additional factors in the relocation.
The bakery business – which operates a po- up market from its current premises near Haymarket – hopes to offer a more formal retail offering at Eskmills.
Nicole Pyper, Marketing Manager at Eskmills, said: “The Ivanhoe building is a recent addition to the Eskmills estate.
“We think we have found the ideal tenant as Company will be a focal point around which our community will thrive and grow.
“Company will not only introduce the very best bread, pastries and coffee, but will be a touchpoint for encouraging a culture and creating conversations in our talented business community.
Company Bakery was founded in 2017 by four friends who shared the view that they could not source quality bread products they needed for their respective businesses.
The owners include Amy and Duncan Findlater of Smith & Gertrude wine bars in Stockbridge and Portobello; chef Ben Reade, formerly of the Edinburgh Food Studio; and Hollie Love Reid, owner of Nice Times Bakery in Morrison Street and Lovecrumbs in West Port.
Amy Findlater said: “We’ve been looking for over a year for the ideal spot where we can have more space and really set up for the long haul and we have found it at Eskmills.
“It’s important for us to be an active part of the community and to be accessible to trade and retail customers and we are confident we can replicate what we have achieved in Edinburgh at our new home in Musselburgh.
“While we are predominantly a wholesale business, our market shop grew out of the Covid pandemic when restaurants were closed, but people still wanted to buy our products, so Eskmills gives us the chance to develop more of a front-facing customer brand.
“We hope that once the appropriate approvals are in place, that we can open a retail shop with an attractive café element to it.”
Amy added: “Moving to East Lothian not only opens up more logistical options which will help grow the business but it gives us access to a different pocket of customers who are part of the area’s bustling food scene.
“Baking bread takes up a lot of room but with the increased space available to us we can address the high demand for our range of French butter pastries.
“We may well have to employ extra pastry chefs who we hope to recruit locally.
“This move will open a lot of doors for us and our new home in Musselburgh is also easily accessible for our very loyal Edinburgh clients, who we hope will keep visiting.”
