Baked goods, as well as diet protein truffles, protein popcorn and diet protein pancakes, would be manufactured at the site, which was a UK first, the firm said.
The company, which was launched in 2012 and specialises in high-protein, low-fat, products, will invest a six figure sum into the facility and is securing finance for a second investment, FoodManufacture.co.uk understands.
Co-founder Mark Coxhead said: “We are convinced consumers don’t want standard run of the mill products.
‘Standard run of the mill’
“The bakery will allow us to bake products daily for the ultimate in fresh protein snacks and to create a range that would rival any unhealthy collection of desserts for taste and texture,” he said.
It was an ambitious plan, Coxhead admitted. However, the factory would combine traditional skills and techniques as well as new technologies and science in its manufacturing process.
More than 10 new jobs would be created at the bakery, which would also manufacture cereal bars as well as bread products, a spokesman said.
Sales of protein-enriched products in the UK had risen significantly over the past five years and were set to reach £471M by 2018, according to recent Euromonitor figures.
Protein most trustworthy
Meanwhile, consumers voted protein as the most trustworthy nutrient, according to a global survey carried out by Mintel.
A quarter (26%) of Chinese and US (25%) consumers said they were eating more protein than a year before. 13% and 12% of UK and German consumers respectively had also increased their protein intake, according to Mintel.
“It seems that protein is the latest unexplored area of a food product’s nutritional statement,” said Stephanie Mattucci, global analyst at Mintel.
“Protein is no longer a fad; high-protein diets and products have made a real impression on nutrition and are re-shaping consumers’ attitudes towards protein.”