Roberts Bakery names Graham Hunter managing director

09-Oct-2020 - Last updated on 09-Oct-2020 at 11:25 GMT

Graham Hunter has taken the role of managing director at Baker Frank Roberts & Sons

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Baker Frank Roberts & Sons has appointed a new managing director following a management shakeup at the Cheshire-based business.

Graham Hunter, previously a non-executive director for the business, has taken on the role and will oversee its Roberts Bakery and The Little Treats Bakery brands.

He brings more than 30 years’ food sector experience across a number of senior roles, including managing director at Fox’s Biscuits, managing director at Premier Foods and chief executive for Tangerine Confectionery.

Chairman’s departure

The move follows the announcement that Robert Higginson had decided to stand down as chairman and group managing director from January 2021 after seven years in the business.

His departure will mark 20 years for Higginson in the bakery sector, including time as finance director and managing director at Warburtons. Higginson leaves Roberts to pursue a non-executive portfolio career.

Roberts Bakery managing director Stuart Spencer-Calnan will also be leaving the business at the end of October, five years since joining Roberts.

Mike Roberts, deputy chairman, acknowledged the contributions of the outgoing officers and welcomed Graham to the post.

‘Important part of the business’

“Both Robert and Stuart have led us extremely well in recent years and played an important part in developing the business. Graham will build on that progress as we look to the future.”

Frank Roberts & Sons has a turnover of £93.4m with bakeries in Northwich and Ilkeston (Derbyshire), employs 900 people and serves a mix of national branded retail, own-label and food service customers.

Meanwhile, last month, Northern-Ireland based Genesis Bakery appointed a new general manager as part of an ongoing recruitment campaign to strengthen its business with the Republic of Ireland.

Genesis also announced it was on the hunt for a for a new national sales manager post for the island of Ireland. Through this role, Genesis hoped to maintain strong links with its existing high profile customers – from supermarkets to symbol groups – as well as identifying and securing new opportunities for business growth.