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Wholebake makes the Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100

Wholebake, a manufacturer of great-tasting gluten-free energy bars under its brand 9BAR, has been included in this year’s Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100, a highly-regarded ranking of the UK’s fastest-growing private companies by sales.

Wholebake, which is backed by Bridges Sustainable Growth Fund III, has enjoyed annual revenue growth of 45% over the last three years, with sales reaching £16.2m in 2015. The bakery is located in a top 15% underserved region of the UK, with 90% of employees drawn from the surrounding area. Since Bridges’ investment in 2014, Wholebake’s workforce has increased by 30%; over half of these new employees were previously unemployed.

In July 2015, 9BAR relaunched with a new brand identity and a reformulated recipe that further reduced sugar and fat content. As part of this re-brand, 9BAR has partnered with SolarAid, a UK-based charity seeking to eradicate the use of the kerosene lamp in Africa, on a campaign called “Good Energy, Twice”: for every 9BAR sold, Wholebake now provides a “night of light” to a family in Africa.