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Two major UK awards for Fermanagh’s Crust & Crumb bakery

Crust & Crumb in Derrylin, county Fermanagh has won two major awards in the highly influential Bakery Industry Awards.

The family-owned company, Ireland’s largest manufacture of ambient, chilled and frozen commercial and gluten-free dough based products such as topped pizzas and pizza bases, was named Bakery Manufacturer of the Year 2021 and Bakery Exporter of the Year 2021 in the industry’s most important awards.

The company operates three state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in counties Fermanagh and Cavan and is a leading supplier of products to major supermarkets in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Other successful foods include flatbreads and tortillas.

The Bakery Industry judges were impressed by the company’s outstanding growth in turnover, investment – some £12 million over the past year – and “fantastic tasting products”.

They also noted how Crust & Crumb’s commitment to reducing food waste – building a facility at its Derrylin base to turn it into animal feed – had also built a new profitable income stream.

Crust & Crumb said: “What makes us different is our commitment to high quality gluten-free and vegan products. With dedicated free-from production lines, we ensure the highest quality free-from products that do not sacrifice the quality and taste of the original product.”

Crust & Crumb’s exports also grew by 25 percent last year to top £40 million. When the pandemic struck, the company adopted a new production ethos: “If we can’t go to our customers, we must show them why they should come to us.” The growth in total export revenues and the number of customers, that resulted from this strategy, really impressed the judges.

Crust and Crumb specialises in creating fresh prepared foods in partnership with leading retail and food service customers in the UK, Ireland and around the world.

The Bakery Industry Awards are organised by British Baker publication and digital information service and focus on the people, products, and businesses at the heart of the industry.

It spans the whole sector from plant, craft, and in-store bakeries to ingredients and equipment suppliers as well as associated businesses like coffee shops and food service outlets.