Cooplands (Coopland & Son (Scarborough) Ltd) is the second largest bakery chain in the UK[1][2] with over 160 outlets[3] located primarily across Yorkshire, County Durham and Lincolnshire in the United Kingdom. Cooplands produces takeaway food chiefly for the lunch-time trade, specialising in sandwiches, pasties, desserts, cakes, and bread. It competes with other local cafés and takeaway outlets, and national and international high street food chains and franchises.

Coopland & Son (Scarborough) Ltd. / Cooplands Retail Ltd.
Company typePrivate
IndustryFood (bakery)
Founded1885
HeadquartersEastfield, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England
Number of locations
150+
Key people
ProductsSandwiches, pasties, pastries, cakes,desserts, bread, drinks and other baked goods.
OwnerEG Group
Websitecooplands-bakery.co.uk

By 2011, it had expanded to become the third largest bakery chain in the UK.[4] In 2011 the company's annual turnover was £23 million.[5]

In 2021, Cooplands was bought by the EG Group.

In 2023, EG Group sold its UK and Ireland business to Asda but Cooplands was retained by EG Group under the terms of the deal.[6]

Cooplands of Doncaster is a completely separate bakery chain and is not connected to Cooplands (Coopland & Son (Scarborough) Ltd) in any way. The similar company name and business model led to much confusion in the past (see below).

History

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Cooplands was founded as a single shop in Scarborough, North Yorkshire in 1885,[7] and was incorporated in 1949.

In 1999, the company opened ten new stores, and expanded production at its Scarborough-based bakery with the creation of 80 new jobs.[8] A further expansion was announced in June 2007 when it acquired the Hull-based bakery, Skeltons. The purchase added 34 outlets to the Cooplands chain.[9]

In 2005, Cooplands was noted as being an "established NVQ training centre", and received a National Training Award for staff training. The same year it held a "Careers in the Bakery Industry" event, with career advisors discussing employment opportunities.[7]

In April 2011, Woodhead Bakery, a rival Scarborough-based chain, fell into administration.[10] Of the 29 Woodhead outlets, Cooplands bought 18, and the rest were purchased by the Haldane Retail Group.[11]

In 2017, Cooplands received £8.5 million investment from BGF to accelerate the rollout of its shops across the north of England.[12]

In October 2021, Cooplands was bought by the EG Group.[13]

EG Group have now installed their first Coopland's Bakery locations, fitted out alongside Asda on The Move forecourts at the following sites:[citation needed]

Cooplands Doncaster

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The Doncaster-based Cooplands chain is in no way affiliated with Coopland & Son (Scarborough) Ltd.[14] Coopland (Doncaster) Ltd. It has outlets across South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire and parts of Lincolnshire.[citation needed] It is a Private Limited Company, incorporated in 1933, with a 2011 turnover of £18.6 million.[15]

In February 2015 Cooplands Doncaster announced it had gone into administration and would close 39 stores and its head office and bakery in Doncaster.[16] However, on the same day, the business and certain assets of Alison's Coffee Shops, including 29 retail units were acquired by a new company, Cooplands Retail Ltd. The 150 employees of TACS (Alisons Coffee Shops) have been retained by Cooplands Retail Ltd and the business continues to trade as Cooplands from the 29 outlets throughout Yorkshire.[17]

References

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  1. ^ Hyslop, Gill. "UK's second largest bakery chain finds new home with billionaire brothers' burgeoning foodservice portfolio". bakeryandsnacks.com. William Reed Ltd. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  2. ^ Robinson, Jon; Le Vay, Josie (4 October 2021). "Billionaire Issa brothers buy Britain's second-biggest bakery". Manchester Evening News. Reach plc. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Cooplands Website". Cooplands Bakery. Cooplands Bakery. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  4. ^ "Rollits help Cooplands of Scarborough expand". Rollits.com. 28 April 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  5. ^ "Coopland & Son (Scarborough) Limited". Company Check. Company Check. Retrieved 12 July 2016.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ Hunt, Simon (31 October 2023). "Issa brothers complete EG Group UK sale to Asda at a discount". Evening Standard. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Case Studies – Live Case Studies – Company Case Studies – Rising to Success – Improve Ltd". Archived from the original on 4 April 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  8. ^ "Our Story". Coopland & Son (Scarborough) Ltd. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  9. ^ "Cooplands buys Skeltons – British Baker". Bakeryinfo.co.uk. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  10. ^ "Bakery goes into administration". BBC News. 30 March 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  11. ^ "Woodhead Bakery saved from administration | Food Industry News". just-food. 18 April 2011. Archived from the original on 31 May 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  12. ^ "Bakery chain Coopland & Son receives £8.5m investment from BGF". BCMS. December 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  13. ^ Robinson, Jon; Le Vay, Josie (4 October 2021). "Billionaire Issa brothers buy Britain's second-biggest bakery in multi-million pound deal". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  14. ^ "Cooplands in Newark forced to close after firm goes into administration". Newark Advertiser. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  15. ^ "Cooplands (Doncaster) Ltd". Company Check. Company Check. Retrieved 12 July 2016.[permanent dead link]
  16. ^ "Cooplands stores across Grimsby, Cleethorpes, Immingham and Louth will not be affected by closures". Grimsby Telegraph. 6 February 2015. Archived from the original on 17 August 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  17. ^ "Cooplands of Doncaster sold in pre-pack administration deal". British Baker. Retrieved 10 November 2016.