Installed at British Bakels’ plant in Bicester, Oxfordshire, the line is able to make caramels for ready-to-use sauces and bakeable products.
It consists of a pair of pressure/vacuum cookers and associated raw material supply, packing and cleaning equipment.
The move is designed to meet the growing demand for caramel “with consistent texture colour and application versatility”, Bakels said.
Market forecast to grow
The UK caramel ingredients market is forecast to grow 7% by 2021, it added.
The products will come with ‘True Caramel’ branding to reflect the fact it is produced by using a traditional high temperature boiling, or caramelisation, process.
Bakels has developed a neutral caramel base for the range, inspired by its Multimix Cake Base – a single ingredient that can be used to produce a multitude of different finished products.
A palm oil-free version, and a low water activity caramel for long shelf-life products, such as bite-size confectionery and snack bars, are also available.
Millionaires’ caramel and banoffee toffee
The company already produces millionaires’ caramel and banoffee toffee for industrial, in-store bakery and craft producers.
Bakels said the new line will provide consistent products due to enhanced process control and open the door for opportunities for products requiring very high temperature processing, such as caramelised syrups.
British Bakels md Paul Morrow said: “Caramel has risen in popularity in recent years and is one of our most important products.
“We believe we have the production capability, backed by a strong team of food scientists and specialists, to compete with the very best.”