Construction has begun on pork and poultry processor Cranswick’s facility in Eye, Suffolk (pictured), which is expected to cost £60m and will focus on chicken processing. Due to open in late 2019, the project is being billed as the largest single investment ever undertaken by Cranswick.
When asked about the Eye plant investment earlier this year and if Brexit fears were driving it, chief executive Adam Couch said the business “has confidence that there will always be a requirement for premium-quality British food” and that this gives them the “reassurance to keep investing”.
Rising demand for chicken products
Cranswick isn’t the only meat business to make investment recently. Poultry processor Avara Foods created 150 jobs at its Telford site to meet rising demand for chicken products, while in August, Cargill invested £35m in its Wolverhampton plant, creating eight new jobs.
The Cargill investment focused on introducing a second breaded and battered chicken production line at the site.
Pork processor Dingley Dell has also invested in a new direction, creating a bespoke charcuterie production facility at its site in Suffolk to capitalise on the growing demand for homegrown produce in this sector.
