He is the most famous baker and pastry chef in our country. And for good reason: for more than 50 years it has been the Belgian market leader in fresh bread and pastries. Excuse a bit.
The La Lorraine Bakery group is, in fact, a 100% family business whose roots date back to 1939 with the opening of a flour mill in Ghent by Gerard Vanherpe. In the 1960s, the Vanherpe family acquired the artisanal bakery La Lorraine in Ninove.
4300 employees
La Lorraine Bakery Group (LLBG), today, there are production sites in 7 countries, sales in 30 countries, 4,300 employees and a turnover of 885 million euros in 2021, an increase of 19 % compared to 2020 (heavily impacted by the health crisis), but also by 5% compared to 2019.
A few figures that give a first glimpse of this company still managed by a Vanherpe (Guido, representative of the 3rd generation).
Another figure is added: the group mentions on its site no less than 1,450 different products.
You will surely consume products from La Lorraine: the group has more than 2,300 customers in Belgium: from mass distribution to Horeca, notably via frozen products. Strong volume growth is expected for 2022.
Growth is, in any case, the order of the day, in all its businesses. “La division Fresh Bakery, en tant q he market leader in Belgium for daily fresh bread and pastries, will continue to implement its product innovation strategy“, announces the group following the publication of its 2021 results.
“Investment in a completely new cake production line at the Ostend site will bring new growth, opportunities for innovation and increased efficiency“, further specifies LLBG.
“Pie to Me”
The brand Pie to Me is, however, only available from Delhaize. Finally, not really. It is also possible to order pies online. E-commerce is also growing strongly, notes LLBG. “Increased attention will be paid to our digital transformation“, evokes on this subject the CEO.
Lorraine is still the Panos chain. Here too, growth is on the agenda compared to a fleet of 250 brands: “A larger number of store openings are once more planned at strategic locations in the Belgian market, with a new look&feel.”
