North Wales Bakery Marks Decade of Supplying Treats to Train Passengers
A North Wales bakery that supplies food to long-distance rail services is marking a decade of serving passengers on the West Coast Main Line.
The Pudding Compartment, based in Flint with views across the railway, began supplying products to intercity train operators more than 10 years ago. Since then, more than seven million items made by the bakery have been enjoyed by passengers travelling between London and destinations including North Wales, the north west of England and Scotland.
The business has worked in partnership with Avanti West Coast since 2019 and marked the anniversary this week by producing a range of specially created bakes for the operator. What started as a small operation in Abergele with just three staff, serving mainly local businesses, has expanded significantly as demand from rail customers has grown. The workforce has now increased tenfold.
Among its most popular products on Avanti West Coast services is the bakery’s shortbread, which has been refined over the years to reflect changing tastes. The biscuit’s popularity has been such that each one must be wrapped by hand before being distributed to trains, creating additional jobs within the business.
In addition to its regular menu items, the bakery has produced a number of limited and bespoke products for the rail operator. One of the most notable collaborations is the Uncle Joe’s Mint Ball brownie, created alongside the Wigan-based sweet manufacturer Uncle Joe’s and Avanti West Coast train manager Helen May. Originally intended as a temporary feature, the brownie proved so popular it secured a permanent place on the operator’s First Class menu and continues to be produced in Flintshire.
Avanti West Coast said its relationship with The Pudding Compartment reflects a wider commitment to working with smaller, locally based suppliers along its route. By sourcing food from businesses close to the West Coast Main Line, the operator aims to reduce its environmental impact while supporting producers embedded in the communities it serves.
Steve West, Director of the Pudding Compartment, said:
“It has been an honour to serve the customers of the West Coast Main Line for the last decade. Being able to see Avanti’s trains pass by the window of our bakery knowing there are customers onboard enjoying our products is something that still makes me and the rest of the team smile every day. There’s no doubt that the relationship we have with Avanti has added towards the success of our business. We receive some lovely feedback from customers all over the UK and the majority of that has come from people who have tried our products whilst travelling along the West Coast. We hope that customers continue to enjoy our products in the years to come, and we’re excited to see where our combined ideas will take us next!”
Rob Taylor, Food and Beverage Manager at Avanti West Coast, said:
“It’s been a pleasure collaborating with Steve and The Pudding Compartment team for so many years. They capture everything we love about the small businesses we work with – a close-knit team who are proud of their Welsh heritage, and who don’t take the success of their products on our services for granted. We’re already looking forward to some of the collaborative projects we have coming up in the future that we know our customers will love too!”
Image: Avanti West Coast