Golden Bake, the well-known producer of premium frozen bakery products including jambons, pastries and cookies, has marked a significant milestone in its growth journey with the opening of a new production facility in Coolock, Co Dublin following a €10 million investment. The new cutting-edge 10,000sq ft facility will increase production capacity and enhance sustainability while reinforcing Golden Bake’s position as a market leader in the frozen bakery segment. In addition, the expansion has seen the company increase its workforce from 110 to 135 employees.
“AIB is delighted to support the expansion of Golden Bake and its new facility in Coolock,” says AIB’s head of business banking, Dublin North, West and Meath, David Power. “The company has gone from strength to strength and its strong commitment to sustainability is very closely aligned to AIB’s own purpose to empower people to build a sustainable future. We look forward to continuing our close relationship and supporting Golden Bake’s growth ambitions in the future.”
Looking to the future, Golden Bake chief executive Robin Jones pays tribute to the company’s founder, Brian Manning, who established the company 38 years ago. “Golden Bake is a fantastic company, and we have achieved success since 1987 as a result of the team we have in place. Brian built very solid foundations for the business, and we are currently enjoying the benefits of that. We plan to continue to grow capacity and jobs while also reducing our carbon footprint.”
The company continues to evolve its consumer offering, available in big retailers nationwide, with the recent rebranding of its Bake at Home bakeables range, Jones adds. The company’s leading position in the market was highlighted last year when it won a €6 million deal to supply the Lidl in-store bakery with three flavours of soft-bake cookies. This saw the items, which were previously sourced internationally, replaced with a new and improved recipe produced locally in Dublin.
The Golden Bake expansion is aligned with AIB’s commitment to supporting customers in the transition to a low-carbon economy, according to David Power. The expansion reflects Golden Bake’s own commitment to sustainability, with a projected 57.6-tonne annual reduction in CO2 emissions through substantial reductions in plastic and other packaging materials, Power notes. The initiative is also in line with the company’s broader sustainability strategy, ensuring both operational efficiency and ecological responsibility.
AIB’s strategic priority of greening its business is demonstrated through a variety of actions and initiatives including the bank’s €30 billion Climate Action Fund which is actively supporting customers with €16.6 billion in green and transition finance deployed since the fund launched in 2019, including €5.1 billion in 2024 alone.
AIB’s Climate Capital segment continues to deploy significant funding towards renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure projects, both nationally and internationally, with new lending of €1.9 billion in 2024, an increase of 55 per cent on the 2023 level.
AIB announced in 2024 its commitment of more than €20 million in new sustainability-focused education and research initiatives
The bank has also taken considerable steps to green its own business and operations and is now sourcing 84 per cent of its electricity requirements from certified renewable sources via a corporate power purchase agreement. AIB purchases renewable power from solar farms in Gorey and Enniscorthy in Co Wexford, which generate approximately 21.4 GWh of clean renewable electricity annually. This creates additional capacity for the national grid and helps AIB to meet its commitment to ensuring that 100 per cent of its power requirements will come from certified renewable sources by 2030.
AIB is also greening its funding profile with €7.2 billion raised from issuing green and social bonds to date. This allows the bank to contribute to the financing of projects with clear environmental, climate and social benefits.
Work on improving the energy efficiency of the branch network and office buildings continues with AIB committing €40 million to upgrades through its Greener Branches programme.
Recognising the importance of quality education and innovation in solving global challenges and building a sustainable future for all, AIB announced in 2024 its commitment of more than €20 million in new sustainability-focused education and research initiatives, including €10 million for the new AIB Trinity Climate Hub at Trinity College Dublin.
