With new food labelling legislation - Natasha’s Law - due to come into effect by summer 2021, bakeries across the country are planning how to achieve compliance. Designed to strengthen allergen labelling laws, the legislation comes in response to the tragic death of teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperpouse caused by an allergic reaction to a baguette sandwich. To comply with the proposed law, food and drink companies will be required to include a full list of ingredients on prepackaged food for direct sale.

Established almost 100 years ago in 1921, Jenkins Bakery is already preparing for this new legislation. Based in Wales, Jenkins is an award-winning, well-established family business, which prides itself on providing the freshest and best quality products. 

Today, we catch up with Richard Mynott, General Manager of Jenkins Bakery, to discuss what makes this bakery special, Natasha's Law, labelling software, and bakery trends.

With experience in the bakery sector since 2001, Richard was keen to work for such a respected local company. As General Manager, he is involved in all aspects of the business from operations, sourcing raw materials to processing, transportation, and retail, including labelling and compliance with food legislation. 

What’s the Jenkins Bakery philosophy?

Jenkins Bakery has 30 branches across Wales, which are managed from its head office in Llanelli. A great selection of bread, pastries, freshly baked savouries, filled rolls, baguettes and sandwiches are delivered to its shops each day offering the freshest products for customers.

The Jenkins’ philosophy is “quality, value and freshness.” Richard continues:

“Whether it’s a retail branch or a coffee shop, our customers can expect quality products at the right price, and stores located in the right areas. Convenience is vital as people want to drive up, park, grab their sandwich and go. We compete with other high street operators in terms of quality, value, and availability, offering what people want when they want it.

“The people of south west Wales have grown up with Jenkins, and they know the brand. We’re a locally-based company, close to the community, using local ingredients wherever possible and we offer a good source of employment in the area. Above all, we provide a high-quality product to a consistently high standard.”

Bakery labelling

Jenkins has been working with Planglow since the 1980s, and the bakery uses our labelling software, LabelLogic Live, to add food information to its Sandwich, Filled Roll and Confectionery ranges. The labelling products they’ve selected include both 'off-the-peg' and custom designed 1 part and 2 part labels.

The bakery has adopted two types of carriers for the provision of product information; pre-printed packaging and adhesive labels they print themselves for application to plain packaging. Pre-printed packaging is used for core products and Planglow’s labelling software is employed to print labels for seasonal products (such as their Christmas Cracker Sandwich), special offers or newly developed products which are being market tested, such as the recently launched range of muffins.

On sandwich wedge packaging, Jenkins uses split labels; the product name and description on the front and ingredients and allergens are detailed on the back. By using Planglow, they can ensure that the products are labelled consistently, and the labelling from LabelLogic Live mirrors the style of the pre-printed packaging. 

Richard continues:

“We decided to apply the 2-part labels on both the back and front of the pack for consistency with our pre-printed packaging. The information is in the same place on both pre-printed and labelled products and so it’s easy for customers to locate and understand.

“LabelLogic Live is straightforward to use and the Planglow support team are helpful when I get in touch with questions. The software is intuitive, and it’s easy to create products, product lists, and bakery label templates. Above all, it gives us the flexibility to create new products or update product information at short notice.” 

Natasha’s Law and the impact on bakeries

In Wales, the Environment and Rural Affairs Minister, Lesley Griffiths has confirmed that the Welsh Government will introduce the measures in line with the UK Government regarding Natasha’s Law. 

For Jenkins, as with all food businesses, meeting Natasha’s Law poses challenges, but there are solutions to hand. For products made in their bakery shop, they will potentially have to print the labels in-store, including the full ingredient declaration. This process must be managed centrally, which is where Planglow’s online app comes into its own. For Richard:

“As LabelLogic Live is web-based and accessible, we will be able to control the product data and information centrally but allow the labels to be printed in each of our stores. However, we will most likely need to re-design our label templates as well as consider the need for larger labels to accommodate the additional information that we will be required to provide.

“LabelLogic Live offers flexibility, the ability to change things at short notice and print the labels that we require for daily output and it is essential for us to avoid having a stockpile of pre-printed packaging or labels on the shelf which not only tie up cash but which could become obsolete as they don’t match the new legislation when it comes into force. 

What will be the next big bakery trend?

“Vegan and vegetarian products continue to be a huge trend, and we’ve added new lines which are labelled as vegan-suitable. In terms of the new labelling legislation, I think it’s too early to say how this will affect bakery trends. We’re currently asking how we can fit all the information required onto our labels. Will it affect the range of products which bakeries or other food manufacturers offer? We will need to wait and see.” 

By keeping up with new trends and continuing to offer fresh, quality products, Jenkins looks set to be around for a long time yet!

Learn more about and how it can help your bakery or food business comply no matter what legislative changes may come.