BAKERY firm Inter Link Foods, which supplies chocolate mini rolls and apple pies to major supermarkets, has seen its profits rise.

The firm, based at the Crossfield Foods site in Blackburn, today reported it made pre-tax profits of £270,000 in the six months to October 31, a jump of ten per cent on the same period last year. Turnover increased by 10 per cent to £4.4 million

And the firm said the second half of the year had begun well with a major new customer and new products.

"The board expects to gain a further multiple retail customer in the course of this financial year," said chairman Jeremy Hamer.

Inter Link Foods made its debut on the stock market in August. The £5 million-plus flotation of the firm factory in Blackburn was a major success for the factory and its 100-strong workforce.

Just four years ago the 45 employees received redundancy notices before Inter Link Foods stepped in to buy it. At the time the bakery was losing £350,000 a year on sales of £1.4 million. It now has a turnover of around £5 million and supplies most of the major supermarket chains including Asda, Tesco and Morrisons.

The Crossfield Street bakery's workforce has increased from 45 to around 100 since the buyout.

It produces millions of cakes a year including apple pies and cherry bakewells.

The flotation raised more than £2.1 million which will go to pay off debts and invest in its bakeries.

The original Kenyons bakery at the Crossfield site crashed into receivership in 1987.

It was later bought out by former QEGS pupil Gary Smith who, after selling the business, went on to set up the Winchester film company.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.