07.06.2022
Grahams Bakery and Lidl Northern Ireland are a batch made in heaven with new £2.5 million supply deal
Dromore-based Grahams Bakery whips up sweet deal with Lidl to supply award-winning cake range to 215 stores across the island of Ireland
Northern Ireland’s fastest-growing supermarket retailer Lidl Northern Ireland has whipped up a sweet deal with award-winning Grahams Bakery to supply a range of cakes and baked treats to 215 Lidl stores across the island of Ireland.
Under the new supply deal, worth more than £2.5 million annually, the family-run bakery will bring the taste of its home-baked goods to Lidl Northern Ireland’s much-loved confectionary aisle with 8 brand new products from delectable swiss rolls to mini rocky roads.
Now in its third generation of family baking expertise, the company is led by Timothy, Esther and Lois Graham and operates from state-of-the-art premises in Dromore, County Down.
From humble beginnings crafting its expert techniques and taste in the family kitchen, Grahams Bakery has grown exponentially since it was established in 1956 by May and Dennis Graham. Awarded two coveted ‘Great Taste’ awards for its Irish biscuit range, Grahams baked goods are made with only the finest ingredients using delicate hand techniques to create the perfect indulgent treat bursting with flavour and steeped in authentic homemade heritage.
Ciara Moran, Buyer at Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland, said:
“At Lidl Northern Ireland we really value our local supplier partnerships and we’re proud to work with an ever-growing network of more than over 50 local artisan food and drink producers to provide shoppers with an expanded choice of quality, homegrown produce.
We’re delighted to expand our much-loved confectionary range with this new partnership. Grahams Bakery is one of the region’s most successful independent family bakeries and we’re confident that our new products will be a real hit with shoppers.”
Timothy Graham, Business Development Manager at Grahams Bakery, said:
“At Grahams Bakery, baking is truly in our genes. Our family business first began with my granny May almost 70 years ago, when she added a few leftover buns she had made for church to the window of her sweet shop. The rest, as they say, is history.
We’ve since grown from a small bakeshop in her home, delivering a small number of cakes, pastries and biscuits to the local town, to a thriving bakery offering more than 20 different products made with the same love and care my grandmother put into them all those years ago.
As we continue to carry on my grandmother’s legacy, we’re thrilled to secure a new deal with Northern Ireland’s fastest-growing supermarket to further expand the business. The support from Lidl Northern Ireland means we can share our range of delicious family recipes with a growing number of customers across the island of Ireland.”
The supply deal is the latest move by Lidl Northern Ireland to support local food suppliers.
Last month, Lidl Northern Ireland announced an annual supply deal worth £340,000 with Holywood, County Down-based spicy meat maker Hellbent to supply its succulent Chakalaka Boerewors to all Lidl stores within the island of Ireland.
In 2021, Lidl Northern Ireland struck a deal worth £11 million with Newtownards-based fresh food producer Willowbrook Foods, to supply 24 new lines of fresh convenience foods including ready meals, stir fry and deli salads, across its network of 210 stores across the island of Ireland. Other supplier deals signed in 2021 included a contract worth £500,000 annually with Country Antrim coffee roasters SlumberJack Coffee, and a significant £24 million deal with Fermanagh-based bakery, Crust & Crumb, for an expanded pizza line.
The Grahams Bakery range will be available across all 41 Lidl Northern Ireland stores in the coming weeks.
For more information visit lidl-ni.co.uk