About Warburtons
Warburtons is Britain's largest bakery brand and a family-owned business founded by Thomas and Ellen Warburton in Bolton in 1876. What began when Ellen's first batch of four loaves and six cakes sold out in under an hour has grown into a baking empire producing over 2 million products daily across 12 UK bakeries. The company achieved turnover of £741.1 million in the financial year ending September 2024, maintaining its position as the UK's most popular bread brand - a status it claimed in 2008 when it overtook rivals Kingsmill and Hovis. The Warburtons story began when Thomas and Ellen Warburton bought a small grocery shop in Bolton. During a slump in the grocery market, Ellen started baking bread to supplement income. The overwhelming success led them to rename the shop 'Warburtons the Bakers' within just two weeks. Thomas' nephew Henry joined at 16 and became a skilled baker, expanding the business and moving the bakery four times in 25 years before the Back o'th' Bank Bakery opened in July 1915. Henry became a respected community figure, serving as Bolton's mayor before his death in 1936. For much of its history, Warburtons operated solely in Lancashire and was relatively unknown outside the North West of England. A large expansion programme beginning in the late 1990s transformed the company from a regional baker with just 2% UK market share into a national brand commanding 24% of the bread market by 2010. Today, Warburtons operates 12 bakeries, 14 depots, and employs approximately 4,500 people across the United Kingdom. The company remains proudly family-owned and operated, now in its fifth generation with Jonathan, Ross, and Brett Warburton actively managing operations since 1991. The Warburtons product range spans five main categories: Bread, Rolls, Bakery Snacks, Gluten Free, and Weight Watchers options. Their iconic Toastie loaf, wrapped in distinctive orange packaging, is the brand's flagship product - described as "magnificent toasted and covered with butter" and wrapped in wax paper to seal in freshness. The range also includes the blue-wrapped Medium loaf and green-wrapped Thickest loaf. Sizes typically include traditional 800g loaves and smaller 400g options. Beyond sliced bread, Warburtons produces a popular crumpets range, described as thicker than competitors and low in fat. The company offers wraps, thins, and bagels to meet changing consumer preferences for lighter bread alternatives. Speciality ranges include gluten-free options for those with dietary requirements and Weight Watchers products for health-conscious consumers. Warburtons has embraced creative marketing, notably featuring Hollywood actor Samuel L. Jackson in a 2023 advertisement for the Toastie loaf. The company maintains strong relationships with UK supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, and Morrisons, though notably Waitrose delisted Warburtons products in 2022 amid a commercial dispute. Price-marked packs (PMPs) are available in convenience stores, demonstrating Warburtons' commitment to accessibility across retail channels. The wax paper packaging used for core bread products reflects both traditional values and practical freshness benefits. Using Grocefully to compare Warburtons prices across UK supermarkets ensures you find the best deals on Britain's favourite bread.