Firkins shops to open despite bakery loss

Bosses of Firkins today said there were plans to open new shops despite the closure of its long-running Black Country bakery with the loss of 40 jobs.

Workers turned up to the bakery in Black Lake, West Bromwich, yesterday to find it had closed and been placed into liquidation.

But today Sarah Bolderston, who runs the business with husband Ian, said it was intended to open new branches of the sandwich shop, which will remain under the Firkins brand despite being supplied by a new bakery.

Newbridge Bakery (Productions) Ltd, which owns the company announced the closure of the historic site yesterday, which will leave drivers and bakery staff jobless.

The company's 33 shops which employ 189 people, will continue to trade as normal, however they will now be supplied by Oliver Adams Bakery of Northampton.

A statement from the company said the Black Lake bakery "was not up to the standards required of a modern bakery and the cost to maintain and improve this site was no longer financially viable".

Today Sarah Bolderston, said: "Firkins shops remain exactly the same, they will just be supplied by a different supplier."