Village Bakery has marked the construction of a new factory following a devastating fire last year.

Founder and chairman Alan Jones and his wife, Wendy, did the honours at the site in Ash Road on Wrexham Industrial Estate, less than half a mile from the bakery that was destroyed by the inferno last August.

Mr Jones paid tribute to the team who had played a vital role in their comeback: “the staff are tremendous and the loyalty they have shown is just wonderful…. the new bakery will be bigger, better and more modern and will lay the foundation for future growth and success.”

The factory is being replaced with a 140,000 sq ft facility that will be four times the size of the original. Due to be up and running in just over 12 months, the company says it will give the business capacity to grow to the next level.

Son Christien Jones, the project director, is playing a key role in the rebirth of Village Bakery.  “I’ve never been so busy. This is our ninth major project in my 30 year career, and this is the biggest of the lot. The new bakery will be the most modern in Europe”

Village Bakery’s turnover is now already higher than it was before the fire, described by the family as the “darkest day” in the company’s history since Alan Jones and his father, Harry, bought the business in 1964.