The Evesham-based fresh produce firm, which employs 1,550 people, did not disclose the identity of the customer. It said food-to-go salad bowls were an area of good growth in the UK. The new business recognised its established strength in the category, it said.
Kanes, which already supplies several UK retailers with salad bags and bowls from a factory in Middle Littleton, Worcestershire, said it aimed to invest further in a new production line to fulfil the additional demand.
‘Related investment’
“The related investment in a new production line, one that will be the fastest and most technologically advanced possible, underscores our recent success and our vision for the future,” said Kanes chief executive Steve Corby. “Here at Kanes we are committed to developing healthy meal solutions for everyone and this offering will give shoppers a wider choice of high-quality, great-tasting, healthy salad meals.”
Based in the Vale of Evesham, Kanes Foods is a second-generation, family-owned business and claims to be the largest private employer in Worcestershire, with five factories spread across a 28-acre site.
The company annually produces 150m units of washed and ready-to-eat bags and bowls of salad, fresh stir-fry vegetables, noodles and sauces, fresh salad dressings and ready-to-cook prepared vegetables to grocery and foodservice customers.