A HISTORIC bakers whose roots go back nearly 125 years has found a winning recipe for new business opportunities.

Steeton-based Grandma Wild's has teamed up with a social media company to promote its famous biscuits to a wider online audience.

And there has been an increase in requests for products to be delivered to people's homes.

Social Progress – whose headquarters are at Honley, Holmfirth – said it was delighted to have added Grandma Wild's to its portfolio.

"Their values are well aligned with ours in that they are genuine and true to themselves," said Abbie Keogh, social media account manager with Social Progress.

"We're delighted that Grandma Wild's has put its trust in us to help promote its well-established brand.

"We all love biscuits – and what better way for us to work than to share our love of biscuits online!

"Traditionally Grandma Wild’s had predominately focused on the wholesale market, but as a company it was looking to target the domestic retail industry.

"We listened carefully to what it asked for and identified its target audience."

A personalised social media package – including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn – was created. And since the launch of the new accounts, followers from as far afield as Spain and Japan have been liking and sharing posts.

The original Wild's Bakery – now a fourth-generation family business – was founded, by Annie Wild, in the Lancashire seaside resort of Morecambe in 1899. Annie ran a bakery shop and boarding house whilst being a full-time mother to three boys.

Annie’s eldest son, John, moved the company to the Haworth area in the 1920s.

It relocated to its current site – at the Millennium Business Park in Station Road, Steeton – at the beginning of this century.

A spokesperson said: "Traditionally we have been very much wholesale focused but as we looked to target the domestic retail market, we knew we needed social media expertise to help us achieve this.

"The name Social Progress kept coming up time and time again. It was only natural for us to gravitate towards them.

"Since the start of our contract with Social Progress, we have seen a significant increase in online engagement and hits to our website. In turn, this has brought a steady increase in requests for Grandma Wild’s goods and gifts to be delivered direct to people’s doors."

For more about Grandma Wild's, visit grandmawilds.co.uk.