Ingredients firm invests £2.5M to grow range and new markets

Phase one of the programme has seen the introduction of five major lines of plant and equipment, while the second stage will lead to a new presentation bakery and warehouse extension being built. Both already have planning approval.

The firm’s md Paul Morrow said the programme took the company’s investment to over £20M since the 1990s.

“Bakels is one of the few ingredients companies which invests heavily in the UK market,”​ he claimed.

“This is because we continue to see opportunities and, as we are privately owned by a foundation with no external shareholders. All profits are ploughed back into the business to enable us to fulfill our ambitions, not just in the UK but wherever Bakels operates.”​

Food technology graduates​

The new plant meant the firm can produce an innovative range of ingredients, many of which will be new to the UK, he said. “In line with our group strategy of strengthening local development and application teams we are also investing heavily in people. Our team of food technologists has been doubled and now comprises six food technology graduates, all with baking industry experience.”​

Operations and engineering manager Simon Dawson said the new plant would lead to an enhanced product range, better flexibility of pack sizes, along with significantly enhanced quality assurance and customer service.

The new major plant lines include a tumble mixing system for handling powders in intermediate bulk containers (IBCs). Supplied by Matcon, the system has separate closed bins for every batch which enables complete segregation between batches containing different allergens or particulates.

Bakels will use this equipment in conjunction with a Gainsborough GV 4 packing line to fill the smaller pack sizes for which the company is experiencing increasing demand.

Better allergen controls​

Dawson said individual mixing containers meant they were easy to clean and the better allergen controls would enable Bakels to further develop its presence in the expanding gluten-free market.

Quality assurance has been enhanced with the introduction of a Stevens Weigh System, linked to Bakels main recipe and stock control systems. The system offers full traceability of raw materials and assurance that the correct raw material is weighed out in the correct quantity every time.

Meanwhile, new near infrared (NIR) equipment will improve quality assurance by relating the light absorbed and reflected by a sample to its chemical and physical composition and characteristics.

The firm has also invested in a Sandiacre twin-filler ‘form, fill and seal’ packing line for wet products, specialist weighing equipment from Winyard Engineering and a Chemetator heat exchanger for the continuous processing of high viscosity and heat sensitive products.