Baynes has lodged proposals with Fife Council for a major extension of its Orwell Bakery site in Lochore, which has supplied the business since 1954 and is a key local employer. The project would see the bakery expand into neighbouring employment land and woodland, with the enlarged facility acting as a manufacturing and distribution hub for the growing chain.
Planning documents describe the scheme as essential to support a planned increase in retail outlets from 71 to 140 across Scotland, many of them on traditional high streets, particularly in Fife. The company frames the investment as a “significant growth and diversification” of the business, underpinned by confidence in long-term demand for affordable fresh bakery goods.
The £20 million programme is centred on opening 69 additional shops, effectively doubling Baynes’ current network of 71 bakeries. Around 300 new jobs are anticipated in the new retail outlets alone, with further posts expected at the Lochore production base once the extension is complete.
Baynes currently employs about 1,000 people and positions the expansion as a way to deepen its role in local economies while offering more training and career opportunities. The business emphasises that all new stores will continue to be serviced from Lochore, reinforcing Fife’s position at the heart of the company’s growth story.
The Orwell Bakery has been part of the Lochore community for more than 70 years and is described as a “major employer” and a vital part of village life. The extension would modernise and increase capacity at the plant, allowing Baynes to handle higher volumes while maintaining its existing product range and quality standards.
As part of the planning bid, the bakery is seeking to finalise the purchase of adjoining council-owned employment land, which would secure room for future development as well as the current phase. Supporters of the scheme argue it represents a substantial vote of confidence in Fife’s food and drink sector and its ability to anchor new investment.
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Baynes’ model is built around high street shops offering fresh rolls, pastries and takeaway snacks, a format that has held up well amid changing retail habits. The expansion would bring that offer to more Scottish communities, at a time when many town centres are grappling with vacant units and shifting footfall.
Industry observers see the move as part of a wider trend of established regional bakery brands consolidating and scaling, while still trading on local identity and heritage. For Fife, the project aligns with broader efforts to leverage food and drink businesses as engines of employment, manufacturing activity and tourism appeal.
