Inside the factory of bakery giant set to take on Greggs as it slashes prices and announces store openings

A BAKERY giant is set to take the UK by storm - and it’s not Greggs. 

Wenzel's Bakery is a family-run business which served its first loaf in 1975 and offers a range of sweet and savoury baked goods.

A familiar sight to North West Londoners, the brand has now expanded to over 100 locations and has ambitious plans to expand nationwide. 

Like its competitors, Wenzels sells a range of popular goods from fondant fancies and unicorn cakes to sausage rolls and sandwiches with prices starting from just £1.

We went inside Wenzel's headquarters and had a behind-the-scenes look inside the factory where the chain's fresh goods are baked from scratch.

We got to see how some of the bakery chains' 1,300 staff prep and mix the dough that ends up being someone's breakfast roll.

From dough to customer

We learn't typical shift for the breadmakers in the Wenzels factory actually starts at around five or six o’clock in the morning.

The dough is mixed and proved in the evening before heading into a stone-burnt oven through the night. 

This way the bread is kept extra fresh and amazingly is sometimes still warm as it's being delivered to each of Wenzel's 108 stores for the next morning. 

Handcrafted 

Unlike other brands, Wenzel’s makes most of its products by hand. 

Machines are brought in to mix the large amounts of dough and help with shaping, and then all of the goods are decorated by hand down to every last swirl. 

Very few products are frozen and only instances where Wenzels wants to reduce food waste.

From baguettes to hot cross buns everything gets made here and the chain pumps out thousands of goods before they are sent off to it's 108 stores.

What can I buy at Wenzel's?

You can get lunch classics from Wenzel stores like sausage rolls, sandwiches and sweet treats.

Here are some of Wezels most popular items:

• Sausage Roll: £1.65
• Steak Slice: £3.20
• Jam Donut: £1.20
• Singular Crusty Roll: £0.50
• Sugar Ring Donut: £1.20
• Breakfast roll: £2.15

Of course, you can get hot drinks as well to quench your thirst while you eat your baked goods. 

But unlike other bakeries, Wenzels serves fresh bread loaves every day. 

They also take customer requests so you could go to Wenzels for handmade platters and cakes for everything from weddings to birthdays. 

Prices will vary depending on the size of your cake or platter but the chain can guarantee they will do their best to make any request a reality.

Baking a difference

This month the bakery chain has rolled out the Baking a Difference campaign with major price drops and multibuy offers to help customers get through the cost of living crisis. 

Customers can now enjoy both in-store and on-delivery platforms:

• Baguette Meal Deal for just £5.85, down from £6.25
• A hot drink paired with a sausage roll at £2.99
• A hot drink with a doughnut also for £2.99
• Savoury slice and a hot drink combo for £3.65

In addition to these price cuts, Baking a Difference introduces a series of multibuy offers designed to provide even greater value:

• Two ring donuts at £1.50, from £1.75
• Two fairy cakes for £1.95 from £2.50
• Four jam doughnuts for only £2.95 from £3.50
• Pair of cookies for £1.95 from £2.50

Peter Wenzel, Chairman and founder of Wenzels said: "We're not just lowering prices; we're reinforcing our commitment to stand by our community, especially those facing the cost-of-living crisis, without compromising on the quality that our customers expect from us."

When are Wenzels opening stores?

Wenzels currently has 108 stores in the UK, however, most of the stores are located in or around London. 

The bakery giant has plans to grow nationwide, with stores up and down the country. 

The following Wenzels store will be opening soon: 

• Westbourne     
• Poole 
• Bournemouth
• Bournemouth - Southbourne Grove
• Andover Roadside 
• Boscombe 
• Castlepoint Retail Park

Karl Spinks, chief operating officer said: "This is an exciting time for Wenzel's as we continue to grow and bring our fresh, quality products to more locations across the UK."

You can find your nearest Wenzel's branch by using its store locator tool on its website - just put in your postcode or nearest town.

Wenzel’s is open from around 5.30 - 7 in the morning to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday and 8am to 5pm on Sundays.

In other news, Greggs fans were left gutted after being unable to pay for their sausage rolls and bakes on Wednesday morning.

Shops across the country were struck by an IT glitch, with many being forced to shut their doors temporarily due to the problem at the tills.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money@the-sun.co.uk.