CASE 529 · Biscuit and bakery food manufacturing
East Coast Bakehouse: From Expansion Losses to Bisca-Backed Recovery Through Irish Examinership and Industrial Investment for Sustainable Growth
East Coast Bakehouse built a modern 50,000-square-foot factory designed to produce 20,000 tonnes of biscuits annually. The investment supported productivity, competitiveness, exports and private-label growth, but profitability lagged behind expansion. In the financial year ending February 2024, revenue rose 80% to €11.2m while losses narrowed from €5.7m to €2.2m. Management said turnover had reached the level needed to break even in the year ending February 2026, yet cumulative losses had reached about €31.6m by 2025. On 15 January 2026, the company sought examinership amid raw-material inflation, rising operating costs and tax-debt repayment pressure. The process protected the business while a new investor was found. Bisca completed an approximately €13m acquisition and investment in April, effective 1 May, refinancing secured debt, funding the court-approved arrangement and providing working capital. East Coast Bakehouse remained an independent subsidiary, and 78 Drogheda jobs were retained. The result is a capital and ownership turnaround, not proof of restored long-term profitability.