The Chelmsford, Essex-based production facility currently has three manufacturing lines with the capacity of producing 10M products a year. However, under the latest plans, they will be replaced with six new lines capable of making more than 40M products a year, according to Raynor.
“It’s a 1,858m² state-of-the-art facility that will have six production lines and it’s a massive increase in our capacity,” said Raynor.
Up to 35 extra staff would be taken on initially, but, when the facility came up to its full production capacity, another 30 staff would be taken on, bringing the £8M turnover firm’s staffing levels to 200, Raynor revealed.
The investment would also allow the firm to become more flexible in its shift patterns, which were currently split, he added.
Additional capacity
New customers and business were also being sought to fill the site’s additional capacity, although Raynor refused to reveal which firms he was in talks with.
“We currently supply colleges, hotels, schools, universities, as well as garages and the other usual suspects,” Raynor said.
The latest capital investment activity is expected to be completed later this year, but Raynor already has plans to install a free-from line, he added.
“We’re planning to use our old production facilities as a free-from line, which will mean more investment,” he said. “There’s a proportion of the population that wants to reduce or limit their intake of things like gluten and we feel we can cater to that.”
Raynor Foods also won this year’s British Sandwich Association technical excellence award. This was presented to the firm at a sandwich industry awards ceremony held in London last month (May).
“We picked up the ‘SAMMIE’ for teaching other sandwich businesses how to produce food safely,” said Raynor. “We’re trying to set the benchmark for the industry and so we’re doing the teaching,”
Greencore investment
Meanwhile, the UK’s largest own-label sandwich manufacturer Greencore announced it would make investment in developing new sandwich ideas this year.
Greencore’s sandwich business represent 40% of the firm’s overall trade and saw a 7% sales growth last year, chief financial officer Alan Williams said. Greencore is increasing its activities in the food-to-go market.
Hot sandwiches would be an area of focus for the firm during the rest of this year, added Williams.
“When you buy a sandwich in a grocery retail outlet, it invariably will be chilled. We’re trying to work with retailers on how to help them deliver hot sandwich and snack products,” he said.
Greencore’s interim results last month for the 26 weeks to March 27 showed group revenue of £639.8M, up 3.9%.
Meanwhile, for the latest jobs in food and drink manufacturing, visit FoodManJobs.