Warburtons downplays fears of mass crumpet shortage after fire rips through factory

Warburtons has downplayed fears of mass crumpet shortages after a fire ripped through one of its factories.

On Monday, the fire was spotted by Dave Fishwick - the inspiration for the film Bank of Dave - as he flew nearby in his helicopter.

Warburtons said the fire, which was put out by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, said production at its largest crumpet-making site had been suspended.

But the firm downplayed fears of a shortage, saying it had "upweighted" production of crumpets at other sites.

The company, which makes "hot plate" products, operates 12 bakeries throughout the country.

The Bolton-based business, which bakes about 124 million crumpets each year, said it planned to "keep the shelves full".

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said 12 crews tackled the fire, which started at 2.45pm.

The site was safely evacuated and an investigation has been launched, Warburtons said.

The fire was contained to one side of the factory as plumes of smoke were sent hundreds of feet into the air.

Mr Fishwick, founder of the Burnley Savings and Loans credit union, narrated what he saw as he flew over the sight.

He said: "I'm flying over Burnley and there's a huge fire down there...

"I hope everybody is OK. It's unbelievable how big the fire is.

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"I better call the fire brigade now and just make sure they know about it.

"The big factory roof looks like it is going up. It looks like it is Warburtons."

The self-made millionaire also offered to airlift people to hospital with his helicopter, which he said "can carry five", but it is unclear if this was needed.

Bank of Dave, in which Mr Fishwick is portrayed by Rory Kinnear, released a sequel, "Bank of Dave 2: the Loan Ranger", in 2025.

Concerns were raised on Facebook, with one person saying "No more crumpets", and other making jokes that the site was "now toast".

Warburtons was founded in 1876 and is the largest family-owned bakery firm in Britain.

The business became known for its celebrity TV adverts, most recently featuring film star Olivia Colman.

Other stars in the bakery's ads include Samuel L Jackson, Peter Kay, and Robert de Niro.