Bakery revived by M&S deal

Avana has bounced back from major problems

A bakery chain hit by a serious factory fire last year has bounced back with a multi-million pound cake contract with high street firm Marks and Spencer.

Avana Bakeries' Rogerstone plant, near Newport, was severely damaged by a blaze last December, putting the factory out of action for a week.

Avana's Rogerstone plant was badly hit by fire

The deal with M&S for Celebration cakes and confectionary secures hundreds of contract jobs, which were put in jeopardy by the fire, which took 15 fire crews to put out.

Avana will expand production at Rogerstone and take on up to 170 extra staff for the new contract, taking the workforce up to 1,060.

"This means that over 90% of all iced Christmas cake sold by Marks & Spencer will have been made by us," said Avana Managing Director Mike Woods.

"To win this contract so soon after the fire shows the quality of our products has been our protection, which has secured our long term future."

Avana's £1m investment to turn round the factory in the wake the fire proved a deciding factor in M&S awarding the cake contract.

The expansion will create 170 more jobs

Staff spent 24 hours a day cleaning up after the blaze - which hit the office block and destroyed delivery lorries - and transferring work to areas which had not been damaged.

Avana specialises in novelty and Christmas cakes and than 40 skilled workers are employed to hand decorate cakes.

The firm has invested £400,000 on refurbishing the former Trebor factory opposite the Avana building on the Wern Industrial Estate and officials from M&S were present for the formal opening ceremony.