Frozen bakery has long been treated as a compromise or a last resort when time is short and quality slips. However, a growing UK brand is challenging that assumption head‑on.
Formerly known as Griddle, Griddle Bakery has unveiled a strategic rebrand in partnership with London-based creative agency 20(SOMETHING), marking its ambition to change how consumers, retailers and the category itself think about frozen bakery.
Founded by friends and former flatmates Ella Harland and Sophie McGregor, Griddle Bakery was born out of frustration with lacklustre supermarket options and a belief that convenience should never mean ultra processed or poor quality. Fresh bakery items went stale too quickly and longer-lasting ambient products were often packed with preservatives, emulsifiers and ingredients consumers didn’t recognise.
The problem was that convenience came at a cost. Frozen was the often-overlooked answer.
Why frozen – and why now?
Despite its reputation, frozen allows bakery products to be locked in at their peak without preservatives, artificial additives or unnecessary processing. It solves shelf‑life challenges and reduces food waste, fitting naturally into busy routines.
“Bakery is notorious for packing products with preservatives just to keep them ‘fresh’,” says Sophie McGregor, Co‑Founder of Griddle Bakery. “We wanted to prove you don’t have to compromise on quality for convenience. Frozen lets us make food the way we would at home – just smarter.”
The thinking behind the new identity aligns with a wider shift already reshaping the freezer aisle. Brands like Itsu and Little Moons have successfully repositioned frozen as premium, while retailers are investing heavily in healthier frozen ranges. In tandem, parents and millennial families are seeking products that balance nutrition, ease and flexibility without judgement.
From Griddle to Griddle Bakery
The name change from Griddle to Griddle Bakery may appear subtle, but it signals a much broader repositioning.
As the brand expanded beyond its original waffle offering, clarity became critical – particularly in international markets where ‘griddle’ alone lacked context. The new name establishes Griddle Bakery as a masterbrand, capable of stretching across frozen breakfast and bakery occasions, and clearly communicating what it stands for in the two-second decision window at the freezer.
With the help of 20(SOMETHING), Griddle Bakery ensured that the rebrand was rooted in consumer insight rather than aesthetics. Research revealed a consistent truth that people don’t want perfect food or idealised lifestyles – they want food that works around real life.
In response, the identity balances convenience with attitude, avoiding the soft, overly worthy cues often associated with ‘better‑for‑you’ brands. Instead, it positions frozen as confident, practical and genuinely fresh.
Building a new category
Griddle Bakery’s ambition goes beyond competing in the frozen aisle. The brand is actively working with retailers to define frozen bakery as a credible, premium category in its own right and one that can challenge ambient bakery rather than sit beneath it.
Its proposition centres on making it easy to feel good about everyday choices: real food, frozen fresh, ready when you are. Products use kitchen‑cupboard ingredients, contain no preservatives and are equally suited to breakfast, brunch, dessert or snacking.
Recent and upcoming launches reflect that broader platform:
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Apple & Cinnamon Wholegrain Toaster Waffles – now available at Iceland Food Warehouse and available in Ocado from February.
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Vanilla Brioche French Toast (above) – launching exclusively with Ocado
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Further wholegrain and protein‑led SKUs rolling out across major UK retailers in 2026
With more than 1,100 new distribution points landing in the coming months, Griddle Bakery is scaling quickly while holding firm on its founding principles.
“We’re not here to change how people eat,” says Ella Harland, Co‑Founder. “We’re here to support how they already live. This rebrand gives us the platform to build a new standard for bakery that removes pressure, reduces waste and doesn’t ask people to choose between health and convenience.”
