UNEXPECTED orders from Europe helped a Taunton cake and pudding manufacturer record a £5million increase in annual sales following a management buyout.

Ministry of Cake, based off Bindon Road, saw its turnover rise to £24.2m in the 12 months to the end of September – up from £19.3m the previous year.

The company, sold for £11m by the Greencore Group a year ago, also turned around a £1.6m loss in 2013 to post pre-tax profits of £148,000.

Over the past year, Ministry of Cake also bought additional manufacturing facilities in Torquay from Brake Bros, where its Ministry of Pudding subsidiary is based.

Chief executive Chris Ormrod, known in-house as Prime Minister, said: “We're ahead of the plans we set for the business at the time of the management buyout.

“We said we'd aim to secure new business which we've done and we've also launched new product lines. There has also been increased interest from the Continent which I wasn't expecting.

"At the same time as the MBO, we launched Ministry of Pudding following the Torquay acquisition. This has already achieved really impressive growth having gone from a standing start to sales of about £6m."

The success has seen the firm take on more employees, with its current workforce of 243 up from 220.

Ministry of Cake makes chocolate fudge cakes, cheesecakes and individual puddings.

The report from the directors accompanying the accounts said: "The growth was achieved largely within the wholesale market sector but also included major contract wins with new and existing customers.

"The directors attribute this growth to the investment made within the new product development team within Ministry of Cake and the continued levels of service provided by the company."