FIRST Minister Rhodri Morgan has opened the most modern gluten-free bread bakery in Europe.

When it is fully operational, the £3m Wrexham Industrial Estate unit will be making four million gluten-free loaves a year.

It’s part of a major expansion by the award-winning Village Bakery which has been named as Britain’s best craft bakery business for the third time.

The family-run firm employs 185 people at its main site in Minera where it makes 750,000 loaves, rolls and pies every week.

The firm, Village Bakery (Nutrition) Ltd, will create 25 jobs and the 24,000 sq ft unit is packed with technology.

It is the result of a five-year agreement with the Switzerland-based food company, Hero AG.

The gluten-free range will be sold under the Juvela brand in the UK and Ireland.

The deal between the Village Bakery and Hero AG would not have been possible without Assembly funding.

Robin Jones, joint managing director of The Village Bakery, said: “We’ve had a processing and marketing grant of £620,000 from the Assembly toward the cost of the equipment.

“It’s a 30% grant so we invested a great deal of money in this development. We believe there is a clear opportunity for growth, providing long term, secure jobs.

“There’s a lot of gloomy news on the economic front so it’s nice to buck the trend.”

According to John Phillips, commercial director of Hero UK, the demand for gluten-free products has grown significantly.

He said: “More people are now having to follow a gluten-free diet for medical reasons – most of them are suffering from an auto-immune condition called coeliac disease.

“People with coeliac disease are unable to consume everyday foods like bread which contains gluten.

“The gluten-free range includes white and high fibre loaves and rolls along with frozen breads.”

At the official opening of the new factory, First Minister Rhodri Morgan said: “The Village Bakery is a great example of the enterprising kind of company we see developing in Wales.

“They are building a strong business by supplying a niche product to a niche and growing market.”