27th May 2021
Bakery giant Warburtons is launching a new range of “premium” sweet treats under the brand Ellie Warburtons Cakes.
The cakes will initially be trialled at two pop-up shops in Skipton and Harrogate, which will open on 28 May and 4 June, respectively. Trading throughout the summer, they will offer eight flavours of sweet cakes, including a Cookie Dough with Caramel Slice and Lemon with Blackberry Compote, priced at £3 each.
The company will also be launching an online store from 21 June where consumers can order the cakes for home delivery. Warburtons did not say whether it was planning a rollout into supermarkets.
The 145-year old brand, which is famous for its bread, bagels and crumpets, is rolling out the premium treats under a new sub-brand called Ellie Warburton – named after the great, great auntie of chairman Jonathan Warburton.
The range – which includes Cookie Dough with Caramel Slice and Lemon with Blackberry Compote – will be available from two local pop-up shops in Harrogate and Skipton as a six-month trial. Should it prove popular, Warburtons will use its extensive distribution network to get the cakes on supermarket shelves across the UK.
It’s a canny move from Warburtons, which is leveraging its flexibility as a family business to invest in new production lines and run trials of potential products to see if they hit home.