Specialist bakery wholesaler BAKO joins the FWD
Specialist bakery ingredients and finished goods wholesaler BAKO has joined the Federation of Wholesale Distributors (FWD) as a full member.
BAKO supplies bakery products and ingredients to 4,000 customers throughout the UK and has business units in Durham (BAKO Northern & Scotland), Preston (BAKO North Western) and Wimbledon (BAKO South Eastern). The group takes pride in being owned by bakers for bakers.
BAKO group commercial director David Armstrong said: “Over the past 18 months it has become increasing obvious that the whole industry is becoming even more interdependent, whether this be in coming together to network or in lobbying government on the key issues we all face. We have been incredibly impressed from afar by all that the FWD has done on this and look forward to working with our fellow wholesalers on these critical subjects.”
FWD chief executive James Bielby added: “We’re very pleased to have BAKO in the FWD family. There are so many issues affecting our sector at the moment where we need to speak as one to government, and also to suppliers and customers. Adding BAKO to that joint voice amplifies it, and we look forward to working with and learning from the team.”
The FWD’s membership now includes 12 stand-alone wholesalers and eight buying groups, which represent a further 600 independent wholesalers. Their combined turnover was £27 billion in 2020.