A Family Legacy Built on Grit and Heart
Kayes Bakery has been part of Luella Penniall’s life for as long as she can remember.
Growing up alongside her parents in the bakery, she started out packing biscuits and gradually took on more responsibility, learning the business from the ground up.
Some of her earliest memories include making doughnuts before dawn and turning up on weekends in roller skates to clean ovens and pack goods. Those formative years shaped her work ethic, strong family values, and deep love of the Southland.
Her parents are the reason Kayes is the brand it is today, laying the foundations through hard work, commitment, and consistency.
Today, Penniall’s passion is to build on that legacy, growing brand awareness and continuing to make Kayes a trusted household name. She has committed to producing quality baked goods, supporting New Zealand suppliers wherever possible, and keeping food proudly made locally.
At the heart of her approach is a belief in rolling up your sleeves, working hard for what you want, and never giving up.
Running a business comes with long hours, challenges, and constant learning. Penniall has invested in developing new skills to strengthen different areas of the business and has never been afraid to seek advice from industry peers.
Success, she believed, came down to work ethic, resilience, and a genuine desire to keep improving, values that continue to guide the business today.
This year marks 48 years of Kayes Bakery, a milestone that reflects both its history and ongoing evolution. Now producing over 1,000 kilograms of baked goods every hour, five days a week, the bakery has continued to grow while maintaining a strong focus on staff well-being and work-life balance, a priority Penniall saw essential to long-term success.
At the heart of Kayes is its people. With over fifty staff, four band ovens, and contracts with several major brands, the business operates at scale while remaining grounded in its values.
Kayes Bakery is quietly led by a team of women across production, development, and operations, each driven by a shared commitment to quality and continuous improvement.
Despite leading a large and growing operation, Penniall has remained closely connected to the bakery's day-to-day operations. She often spends her time on the production floor, packing biscuits and slices, labelling packaging, and working alongside the team wherever needed, staying hands-on and involved in every part of the process.
As the face of Kayes Bakery, Penniall is proud to lead a locally owned, family business that remains a trusted source of homemade goodness.
Proudly made in Invercargill, Kayes Bakery supplies New Zealand and Australia, delivering quality, consistency, and heart in every bake.
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