The new factory is said to have increased production four-fold as the manufacturer continued to attract attention from trade customers and retailers globally. The expansion will also support product development, with plans in place to create different lines for gluten-free and vegan mochi variants.
Little Moons also planned to create 150 job opportunities at the site in the next few years across a number of disciplines, from graduate level through to senior executive.
Commenting on the opening of the new factory, founder Howard Wong said: “The world has embraced the mochi and, more recently, our cookie dough ice cream bites.
“Our expansion reflects the increasing demand for mochis from both retailers and trade and will enable us to accelerate innovation, which is super-exciting.”
Co-founder Vivien Wong said the new factory would afford Little Moons a level of autonomy that wouldn’t have been possible if the manufacturer had outsourced production.
“We didn’t [outsource] and it was a great decision as we have full control over the innovation process, quality control and flexibility,” she added.
“We have a highly skilled team and we are looking forward to bringing on more local talent to continue developing our wonderful products for the world to enjoy. Everyone deserves a mochi moment.”
Little Moons is a family-run gourmet dessert brand that produces a range of mochi and cookie dough ice cream bites from its factory in London. All of its products are free-from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives and are suitable for vegetarians.
Meanwhile, Lucozade Ribena Suntory has opened a new £13m energy and water-efficient line at its Coleford, Gloucestershire factory in a bid to meet demand and cut down on its impact on the environment.
What is mochi?
Mochi is from Japan and is a rice flour dough that has been steamed and pounded to give it a distinctive soft and chewy texture. Little Moons wraps this dough around balls of gelato ice cream to create its ice cream bites.
