The investment concludes a three-year plan to specify, design and install a modern stone-baked bread line, believed to be the largest and most technologically advanced in the UK.
The line, which is the first to incorporate robotic scarification in the UK, will facilitate large-scale production of multiple varieties of rustic bread using the latest technology in dough lamination, weight regulation and control.
Additional investment
Additional investment at the Southall bakery brings a new product development area for future bakery products and training, alongside modernised staff changing areas and canteen.
Délifrance is a subsidiary of NutriXo, alongside the miller Grands Moulins de Paris, and part of the vertically integrated French farmer grain co-operative group Vivescia Industries. In 2015, the business in the UK had a turnover of about £135M.
Délifrance UK md Ian Dobbie said: “Délifrance has been developing bakery solutions for foodservice providers, retailers and bakers for 30 years and here in the UK, we have been planning a major expansion and development of our Southall site since our acquisition of Le Pain Croustillant in 2009, which gave Délifrance the opportunity to concentrate on supplying larger volumes of premium, added-value breads.
‘Exciting time’
“This is an incredibly exciting time, not just for Délifrance and its increasing share of the premium bread sector, but for our UK retail and foodservice customers.
“We now have the facilities to provide the full solution from developing concepts, creating new breads and trialling products on our stone baked line, through to large volume production.”