Roberts Bakery puts friends, family and community at heart of rebrand
Fourth-generation family bread business, Roberts Bakery has announced a rebrand to celebrate its Cheshire roots and baking heritage and to put a fresh emphasis on everyday products for real lives.
The new positioning for Roberts Bakery marks a return to its brand truths as it refocuses on why consumers love the bakery, its regionality, focus on quality, and commitment to its local community.
A new logo features the bakery’s iconic cooling towers, a distinct, much-loved asset for Roberts, the open windows providing a clear view of its world. The towers are well-defined on pack, alongside a new Raised in Cheshire strapline, to denote four generations of proud association with the region.
The move is intended to capitalise on strong sales in its heartland of Cheshire, North Wales, Lancashire, and the West Midlands and with a clear proposition around Cheshire-based provenance and expertise and a warm welcome to all.
Roberts Bakery distributes over two million products a week from its Northwich bakery – and sister site in Ilkeston, Derbyshire – to customers in multiple supermarket, convenience and wholesale channels – and employs 750 people.
The rebrand forms part of a wider post-pandemic strategy for the business following an £18 million investment secured last year and the hiring of experienced managing director Bill Thurston to lead the business into 2023 and beyond.
He said of the new positioning. “It is a celebration of all that Roberts has done very well for over 130 years, baking great products to meet the needs of real people, and will be the foundation for recovery after a challenging few years. It sets out a clear offer to those who know us and those who don’t – from Northwich to the nation.”
Karen Smith, marketing controller at Roberts, said: “It’s authentic, down to earth, open, with a clear sense of belonging, bringing comfort and connection with the bakery at its heart. Exactly where Roberts should be.”
She added: “FMCG-wrapped bakery is the bread and butter of daily life without filters, fakery or fantasy. We are baking to the beat of life, making a connection with our consumers which will define future NPD and communications strategy.”
The new look launches this month (February 2023) across the core range, starting with its best-selling Thick, Medium and Mega Thick soft white and Wholemeal sliced loaves and extending to its 50% Wholemeal 50% White, Super Oaty and Seeded.
It will then roll out across the bakery’s White and Wholemeal Bloomers, Thins, White and Wholemeal rolls, Teacakes and Crumpets.
The new visual will start to appear on the firm’s fleet of vehicles – 18 in an initial phase – and be the cornerstone of a new website, which will bring the current Frank Roberts, Roberts Bakery and Little Treats sites into one place for the first time.
It will be supported with a comprehensive programme of trade and consumer promotional activity including a range of in-store communications to drive RoS and visibility plus radio, posters, social media and PR.
