LANCASHIRE baker Inter Link Foods has got its fingers in several pies.

Since its foundation in 1994, the Blackburn-based company has busily acquired seven additional manufacturers of specialist pastries, including Soreen in Urmston for a cool '8.4m, Northumbria Fine Foods for a modest '1.3m and Hoppers Farmhouse Bakery Holdings in Kent for a princely '5m.

The firm's pro-active approach to buying up businesses could be about to earn it another a slice of success at the annual Business of the Year awards. The company, which produces novelty celebration cakes, cherry bakewells, mini-rolls, fruit pies and malt loaf, is a finalist in the turnover over '50m category and has announced a yearly result of '69.6m.

But the good news doesn't stop there. Chief executive Paul Griffiths told the M.E.N. that Inter Link will break the '90m mark with its next set of accounts.

"From very humble beginnings in Blackburn, Inter Link is a business model to many," said Paul, 51. "The group recently reported its fifth successive year of record turnover, profits and earning per share."

As the current executive chairman Alwin Thompson tells it, Inter Link came about almost by chance.

In an industrious career that started at the age of 11, the 57-year-old has risen from ball boy at Manchester United to commendable entrepreneur. At 19, Mr Thompson joined the catering industry, becoming a sales rep at Fry's Chocolate. Three years later, he joined cigarette-maker Gallaher to manage sales training, but moved to ADT security as sales and marketing director before he hit 30.

His first venture, fitness equipment Jimporter Slim Gym, was a winner. It was after selling his shares in 1986 that a chance meeting in his golf club came about - a fellow member asked Mr Thompsonto help him turn around his bakery Country Fitness Foods was born.

The firm has gone from strength to strength since being re-branded as Inter Link Foods in 1994. With additional sites in Oldham and Heywood, Inter Link currently occupy third position in an industry worth almost '2bn.

A recent deal with Disney, which granted the company a licence to use characters from animation favourites the Lion King, Winnie the Pooh, Cinderella and Snow White, looks likely to give a healthy boost to profits. It complements an earlier purchase of licences to make character cakes of Bagpuss, Barbie and Bob the Builder, as well as movie names Harry Potter, Spiderman and Star Wars.

The cake manufacturer is also listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM), where it was awarded Company of the Year in 2001. It floated six years ago with a starting share price of 110p, but this has more than quadrupled since.

Mr Thompson said his firm is a success because everyone loves a slice of something nice: "Cakes are a treat. When times are hard, people want to cheer themselves up with a cake, and when they are good they want to reward themselves." Tweet