The Original Cakerie has found sweet success in the agricultural heartland of Southwestern Ontario and London’s proximity to raw materials.
Keeping more than 1,300 cows and 56,000 chickens employed every year is literally a piece of cake for The Original Cakerie - a leading manufacturer of premium frozen desserts for retail and foodservice customers across North America.
According to Suzanne Pottinger, Vice President of Employee Experience, the proximity to raw materials was a key factor in deciding to buy land and build a 125,000 square foot facility in London’s Innovation Park.
“London is ideally located in the agricultural heartland
of Southwestern Ontario providing us with multiple sources of dairy, eggs and flour,” says Pottinger.
The company was also enticed by access to a highly skilled pool of talent with advanced
manufacturing knowledge and expertise in quality assurance, maintenance, clean food handling, and product development - all by-products of London’s rapid growth as a hub for food and beverage processing.
“We could have built this plant anywhere but London’s robust manufacturing sector, proximity to key distribution networks, and overall receptivity to growing its food processing sector was significant to our decision,” says Pottinger.
London-Grown Innovation
The sweet success of The Original Cakerie lies in its commitment to innovative, new product developments in response to consumer trends and retailer/customer demand. As people become more health conscious and mindful of locally sourced ingredients, food processors need to respond to their demands for natural flavours, no artificial trans fat and high standards of food safety.
According to Pottinger, the London facility is a driving force particularly in the areas of product design and packaging. A key example is The Original Cakerie’s first retail brand ‘Inspired by Happiness,’ a gluten-free line of products, which recently launched across North America.
As one of the largest dessert manufacturers in Canada, The Original Cakerie’s layered cakes, bars, and brownies can be found in restaurants, in-store bakeries, and large-scale facilities like universities and hospitals.
“There is no question that the level of innovation here in London will only continue to grow,” says Pottinger. “We have every intention of continuing to invest in this facility and the people who have helped us to be successful.”
As people become more health conscious and mindful of locally sourced ingredients, food processors need to respond to their demands
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