Premier Foods has unveiled a new £20m production line at its Mr. Kipling bakery in Barnsley, more than doubling capacity of its Snack Pack cake slices.
The new line was formally opened by the Rt. Hon. Elizabeth Truss MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The opening marks the introduction of robotic technology at the site, the creation of 80 new jobs and the wider economic benefits for Premier Foods’ suppliers.
The investment follows the Mr. Kipling re-launch last year which included new packaging, advertising and promotions. The Snack Pack format of individually packed slices is now the fastest selling Mr. Kipling cake, responding to consumer demand for more convenient ‘on the go’ formats.
At full capacity the new production line can produce more than 300m Snack Pack slices a year. The use of advanced robotics increases the number of pack and case sizes possible, enabling greater flexibility to meet different consumer and retailer requirements.
Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss said: “Our food manufacturing sector is bigger than cars and aerospace combined, generating over £100bn for the economy. Iconic British brands like Mr. Kipling are key to its success and ensuring our food businesses can thrive is central to the government’s long-term plan.”
Gavin Darby, CEO Premier Foods, added: “I’m very excited about the future for Mr. Kipling. Our cake business has grown significantly over the last nine months and the additional capacity and flexibility from this new investment will help us improve productivity and capture new growth opportunities. It’s also a great vote of confidence in Barnsley and our colleagues at the Carlton bakery.”
Mr. Kipling is the UK’s leading cake brand with a 17% share of the £1bn packaged cake market. In the six months to March this year the brand grew by 11% in value terms, outperforming the packaged cake category (+2.6%).
