Beloved Yorkshire-born bakery Cooplands may soon be popping up in petrol and service stations across the UK, following news that the brand has sold to entrepreneurs Zuber and Mohsin Issa - who also bought Asda last year.
Huge expansion plans have been announced for the chain as part of the acquisition deal, which sees the UK's second-largest bakery chain snapped up by the Mancunian Issa brother's EG Group.
Known for their petrol and service stations, the brothers used the EG Group to acquire CS Food Groups Holdings Limited, which operates as Cooplands.
Through this group, Cooplands owns and operates three bakeries that produce its fresh products before they are distributed to a network of 180 stores and cafes across Yorkshire and the northeast.
Cooplands opened a store in Yeadon, Leeds in September but after their acquisition with EG Group, it is expected the bakery brand will travel further across the UK. Image: Cooplands Bakery
Cooplands has come a long way since its 1885 debut as a pork butcher and pie maker. The business now has over 170 shops and twelve cafes across Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and the northeast but this number is only set to expand over the month months.
In a statement regarding the takeover, EG Group said that Cooplands "complement EG Group’s extensive food service brand portfolio, including popular third-party brands such as Starbucks, KFC and Subway".
The "transaction will provide a platform to diversify the Cooplands brand into the transient petrol forecourt and retail convenience store channel, alongside the bakery chain’s traditional store formats, through EG Group’s extensive UK network".
The acquisition also promises to ensure that the fresh food remains at the forefront of Cooplands' image so that they can continue "to satisfy existing customers and attract new ones".
The assurance of remaining an authentic, individual brand should mirror the approach taken regarding the management of other recent EG Group acquisitions, including popular restaurant chain LEON in May 2021.
Cooplands was previously backed by BGF, however this new acquisition from EG Group marks the end of BGF's involvement in the bakery chain.
Although there is no set time frame for the introduction of Cooplands in EG stores, we can only imagine that we will be seeing Yorkshire's finest baked goods in petrol and service stations, amongst other stores in the near future.
Leeds City Council has confirmed that work to stabilise buildings on Lower Kirkgate is set to begin later this month, with repairs expected to take around 20 weeks to complete.
Back in 2024, Lower Kirkgate in Leeds city centre was closed following the partial collapse of a building, leaving one of the city's oldest streets inaccessible.
Since then, the street has remained closed while plans were developed to address the structural issues affecting the buildings.
Now, almost two years after the initial incident, the council has confirmed that a contractor has been appointed to carry out the work.
The buildings are privately owned, but Leeds City Council says it will step in to carry out the stabilisation work to prevent further deterioration and protect the historic properties.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “We are pleased that, following months of careful planning and preparation, we are now in a position to begin stabilising these privately owned buildings.
“A contract has been awarded for the work, which is scheduled to get under way later this month and is expected to take around 20 weeks to complete.
“It should be stressed that the situation on Lower Kirkgate is not of the council's making, with the owners of the buildings allowing their condition to deteriorate over many years and then failing to take the necessary steps to address the resultant structural issues.
“By stepping in and carrying out this work itself, the council will be able to arrest the deterioration of important heritage assets on one of Leeds’s oldest streets. As always, we thank the local community for their continued patience and support.”
Further details about the work, including when the street may be able to reopen, have not yet been confirmed.
Canadian rock legends Nickelback announce Leeds gig on huge world arena tour
Clementine Hall
Nickelback announce world arena tour in support of their new album - and they're coming to Leeds.
The Canadian rockers will be bringing their biggest hits as well brand-new music to arenas around the world.
Formed in Hanna, Alberta, the band made up of Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroeger and Daniel Adair, have sold nearly 65 million albums worldwide.
Best known for rock anthems including Rockstar, Photograph and How You Remind Me, Nickelback have built up a huge global following over the course of their career.
The upcoming tour will see the band celebrate their new album, Everything Under The Sun, and they'll be kicking off the UK leg of the tour right here in Leeds at the First Direct Bank Arena.
The tour follows their record-setting Get Rollin' world tour, and will once again take them to venues across North America, Europe, and Australia.
The group have sold nearly 65 million albums worldwide, and achieved billions of streams across digital platforms.
Their new album will be released at the end of the month on Friday 30 October, so you'll have plenty of time to get to know their new tracks before they come to Leeds on Saturday 22 May 2027.
They'll be supported on the tour by Don Broco, an English four-piece featuring Rob Damiani, Simon Delaney, Tom Doyle and Matt Donnelly. Known for their genre-defying sound and dynamic approach to modern rock.
Nickelback 2027 UK Tour Dates in full
22 May - Leeds First Direct Bank Arena
24 May - London The O2
28 May - Birmingham Utility Arena
1 June - Glasgow Ovo Hydro
2 June - Manchester Co-op Live
Tickets for Nickelback at the Leeds First Direct Arena go on sale next Friday 16 October and you can get yours HERE.
Sophie Smith -
6th October 2021 
