Pasty and pie manufacturer Yorkshire Baker has been granted planning permission to build a new production plant at an industrial estate, in Norton, North Yorkshire, having outgrown its current base.
The firm will be expanding production of its existing lines and introducing new lines to meet growing demand for its products.
Hull-based meat supplier Cranswick will supply the meat.
Last month (July 19) Ryedale District Council approved the following planning proposal from Yorkshire Baker: “Erection of factory for the production of meat-based pastry products together with the associated car park, vehicular access, external hard standing area and landscaping.”
Full production levels
A spokeswoman from the council told FoodManufacture.co.uk the proposal estimated that the new factory would create up to 300 jobs at “full production levels”.
Gill Ridgard, owner of Yorkshire Baker, was reluctant to commit to precise numbers of jobs that will be created. She told FoodManufacture.co.uk: “There will be new jobs but it all depends on the amount of business we’ll be putting through. It’s a moving feast.”
Agents for the construction scheme, Trundley Design Services, said the development was targeted for completion in January 2013.
Jim Brisby, sales and marketing director of Cranswick, told FoodManufacture.co.uk he was not in a position to comment on the project at present.
Earlier this month Cranswick reported sales for the three months to June 30 2012 increased by 7.4% to £209M.
In June this year, it acquired premium cooked and roasted meat products producer Kingston Foods.
The firm has also committed to a £12M pastry plant at Malton, North Yorkshire to focus on the premium sausage roll, pie and quiche markets, in which it already sells to two leading UK retailers.
Overnight sensation
Darren Shirley of Shore Capital told FoodManufacture.co.uk: “Pastry will not be an overnight sensation in the quantum of sales at a group level, in our view. But it does provide a complementary basis to provide for meaningful and sustainable additional growth for the group.”
City analysts have praised the firm for its strong balance sheet, experienced and capable management team, presence in good growth food markets in the UK and leading positions in most of its categories.
They said the group was also set to benefit from potentially tighter EU meat supplies and capacity reduction in Scotland, where its rival Vion is closing in Broxburn plant, which handles about 8,000 pigs a week.
To read more about Shore Capital’s glowing report on Cranswick, click here.