Manchester-based bakery Sheldon’s says England’s World Cup run is already delivering a major boost to business, with football fever, soaring temperatures and BBQ season driving one of the bakery’s busiest trading periods of the year as the nation gears up for Saturday’s quarter-final against Norway.
The family-run bakery, which supplies the UK’s biggest supermarkets, said overall demand for its range of products rose 19% year-on-year during the opening weeks of England’s World Cup campaign, while appetite for its BBQ favourites climbed by 20%.
According to Sheldon’s, hot dog rolls are emerging as this summer’s runaway winner, with demand up almost a quarter (24%) year on year as retailers stocked up in anticipation of a packed weekend of barbecues, World Cup action and the Wimbledon finals. Demand for traditional burger buns also increased by 11% over the same period.
Meanwhile, Sheldon’s famous Oven Bottom Muffins continue to grow in popularity, with demand increasing by almost 19% year on year as more people swap traditional burger buns for the bakery’s much-loved alternative.
The latest figures build on an earlier heatwave boom, when demand for hot dog rolls through one major retail customer surged by 178%** in May, compared with April.
The strong summer performance comes as Sheldon’s continues to expand. Last month, the family business announced plans for a new manufacturing facility in Manchester, due to open in early 2028, which will increase production capacity to support the significant growth it is seeing in customer demand.
Founded in 1949, Sheldon’s remains family-owned and today supplies millions of bakery products to major retailers across the UK.
Manchester-based bakery Sheldon’s says England’s World Cup run is already delivering a major boost to business, with football fever, soaring temperatures and BBQ season driving one of the bakery’s busiest trading periods of the year as the nation gears up for Saturday’s quarter-final against Norway.
The family-run bakery, which supplies the UK’s biggest supermarkets, said overall demand for its range of products rose 19% year-on-year during the opening weeks of England’s World Cup campaign, while appetite for its BBQ favourites climbed by 20%.
According to Sheldon’s, hot dog rolls are emerging as this summer’s runaway winner, with demand up almost a quarter (24%) year on year as retailers stocked up in anticipation of a packed weekend of barbecues, World Cup action and the Wimbledon finals. Demand for traditional burger buns also increased by 11% over the same period.
Meanwhile, Sheldon’s famous Oven Bottom Muffins continue to grow in popularity, with demand increasing by almost 19% year on year as more people swap traditional burger buns for the bakery’s much-loved alternative.
The latest figures build on an earlier heatwave boom, when demand for hot dog rolls through one major retail customer surged by 178%** in May, compared with April.
The strong summer performance comes as Sheldon’s continues to expand. Last month, the family business announced plans for a new manufacturing facility in Manchester, due to open in early 2028, which will increase production capacity to support the significant growth it is seeing in customer demand.
Founded in 1949, Sheldon’s remains family-owned and today supplies millions of bakery products to major retailers across the UK.
Sarah Sheldon, Director at Sheldon’s, said: “The hot weather has already given our BBQ range a real boost this summer, but with England’s World Cup quarter-final and the Wimbledon finals falling on the same weekend, we’re gearing up for what could be one of our busiest weekends of the year. Our teams will be baking right up until kick-off to make sure retailers have everything they need for what promises to be a huge weekend. As a family bakery, it’s always special to see our products at the heart of big occasions, whether that’s a family BBQ or friends getting together to watch the game. We’re incredibly proud of the way our team has responded over the past few weeks and, once the last orders are out the door, we’ll all be keeping our fingers crossed and hoping England can give everyone another reason to celebrate this weekend.”
