Independent Cardiff bakery Pettigrew has made a significant six-figure investment in a new production facility that will allow the business to at least double its output.
The new ‘Breadquarters’, based at Design Quarter on Colchester Avenue in Penylan, brings Pettigrew’s bakers together under one roof for the first time.
Privately funded by the business, the purpose-built bakery has been designed to improve production efficiency and working conditions while providing the capacity needed for Pettigrew’s continued growth.
The development also includes a 25-cover café, where customers can enjoy food and drink while watching the bakery team at work.
Around 3,000 of Pettigrew’s signature Welsh cakes are currently handmade each week. The new facility will allow the business to increase this figure to approximately 5,000.
Thousands of loaves of its classic house sourdough are also produced by hand each week. New temperature-controlled walk-in facilities could allow Pettigrew to increase its sourdough production by as much as five times.
Approximately 3,000 individual baked products currently leave the bakery every day, supplying Pettigrew’s five Cardiff shops and a select number of local restaurants and chefs.
The Breadquarters has been designed around the needs of the bakery team. It includes new ovens, mixers, temperature-controlled areas and specialist equipment intended to make production more efficient while retaining the traditional techniques and hands-on skills central to the business.
An initial team of around eight bakers will work at the site each day, rising to 14 when the full team has moved into the facility.
The adjoining café will serve breakfast, lunch, coffee and pastries. A large theatre-style window will provide customers with a direct view into the working bakery.
Pettigrew’s bakers begin work from as early as 1am, with the first person to arrive earning the right to choose the day’s music. Customers visiting between 9am and 1pm will be able to see much of the bakery’s daytime production activity.
Founder and owner David Le Masurier said: “Breadquarters really is the culmination of everything we’ve learned over the past decade, and even further back with the Tea Rooms.
“We wanted to forget compromise. We reject the idea that a space must be either purely functional or beautifully useless. We wanted to find the third way – a design that does both, with Pettigrew style.
“We have given a lot of thought to every detail. It is practical and designed around the people who work here, but there’s also a bit of fun, a lot of love and a proper demonstration of skill.
“More than anything, I’m incredibly proud that we’ve managed to pull this thing off.”
Centralising production will remove the need for Pettigrew to operate duplicate bakery facilities or transport ingredients between production sites across Cardiff.
The business estimates that the move could reduce its overall carbon footprint by approximately 25% to 30% through lower energy requirements and more efficient logistics.
Ingredients can now be delivered by the pallet directly into a dedicated storage and dispatch area.
David added: “This isn’t about taking the craft out of what we do. The investment in equipment and technology is there to support our bakers to remain hands-on, highly skilled craftspeople.
“Bringing everyone together also gives us opportunities for much more collaborative working, teamwork and cross-training. Ultimately, it gives us more time and space to implement the ideas we have and unleash the potential of an incredibly skilled team.”
The investment follows more than a decade of growth for Pettigrew. The business began with Pettigrew Tea Rooms in Bute Park before expanding into a network of neighbourhood craft bakeries across Cardiff.
Pettigrew now operates five shops across the city. These include its original bakery in Victoria Park and sites in Roath, Rhiwbina and Castle Arcade in the city centre.
The business also trades at three weekly farmers’ markets in Rhiwbina, Roath and Riverside.
Breadquarters will serve as the central production hub for those locations. Its additional capacity is expected to improve product availability and could support the introduction of a wider range for customers across Cardiff.
