Cumbria-based family baker Bells of Lazonby has strengthened its senior leadership team with the appointment of Katie Cummings as Commercial Director.
Katie Cummings joins the third-generation family business from Nestlé Professional, bringing extensive commercial experience from across the food retail and hospitality sectors to the bakery.
As Commercial Director, Katie will work across Bells of Lazonby’s conventional bakery and free-from businesses, helping to drive commercial strategy and identify new opportunities for growth across retail and foodservice.
Most recently Head of Cash and Carry & Vending at Nestlé Professional, the career move follows 13 years with global food and drink business Nestlé, which has seen her work on key strategic customers and with their best-known brands, including KitKat & Nescafe. Her FMCG career brings a wealth of experience across foodservice, grocery and value retail channels, alongside category management and field team leadership.
A First-Class Honours graduate of Leeds Metropolitan University, Katie began her career in buying at Morrisons in Bradford, gaining an early grounding in grocery retail before moving to the supplier side of the food industry.
Her appointment comes at an important point for Bells of Lazonby as it marks 80 years in business and continues to invest in its people, manufacturing capabilities and brands, including rapidly growing free-from bakery brand We Love Cake.
Katie Cummings, who starts her role as Commercial Director at Bells of Lazonby in early October, said: “Bells of Lazonby is a business with an incredible heritage, but what really attracted me to the role was the ambition for its future and the opportunity to scale.
“There is a fantastic opportunity to build on the strength of the business, its customer relationships and the expertise within the team, while continuing to look for new opportunities for growth.
“I’m really looking forward to getting to know the team, our customers and the business, and playing my part in its next chapter.”
Rob Keeping, Managing Director at Bells of Lazonby, said: “Katie brings a wealth of commercial experience and a strong understanding of the food industry, customers and the wider market.
“At Bells, our strength has always been our ability to deliver craft at scale, combining the quality, care and agility of a family bakery with the capability to serve some of the UK’s biggest retail and foodservice customers.
“As we enter our 80th year and look to the next phase of growth, Katie will play an important role in building on that strength, developing our customer partnerships and unlocking new opportunities across conventional and free-from bakery.
“Katie’s experience, energy and approach make her a great fit for the business and our values, and we’re delighted to welcome her to the team.”
Bells of Lazonby celebrates 80 years of trading this year. Founded in Cumbria in 1946, the business remains wholly family owned, with second and third-generation family members represented on its board.
Today, the bakery operates two sites in Cumbria: a conventional sweet bakery and a dedicated free-from bakery. It supplies major UK retailers, high street coffee chains and foodservice customers and is also home to free-from sweet bakery brand We Love Cake.
‘Bells of Lazonby have been made a finalist for Manufacturer of the Year and ‘We Love Cake’ Bakery brand of the Year at the Baking Industry Awards 2026
