Round up of 2023 food and drink factory expansions

Diageo gains planning permission for £26m factory expansion

In August, global drinks business Diageo secured planning permission to expand its Baileys global supply facility in Mallusk, Northern Ireland.

The manufacturer plans to improve its logistics and warehousing facilities, with the project set to cost £26m. Work is expected to commence in early 2024.

The site is one of two production sites for the Baileys brand, producing more than 60m bottles each year and exporting to 150 countries around the world. It focuses on the original Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur and has the capacity for production, bottling, labelling and storage.

Speaking at the time, operations manager for the Mallusk site Lesley Allen commented: “The extension will support the storage, delivery and distribution of raw materials and finished goods and we are looking forward to the opportunities it will create for us.​

“Baileys makes a considerable contribution to the local economy in Northern Ireland, and over 97% of our output is shipped around the world.”​

Read the full story here​​.

Beacon Foods completes project with installation of solar panels

Ingredients supplier Beacon Foods completed a £6m expansion project in December after three years of work.

As part of the improvements, Beacon Foods installed 1,428 solar panels at its facility in Brecon, Wales. The solar panels will produce up to 500,000 kilowatts of electricity, which the firm will use to power its operations.

Meanwhile, the manufacturer doubled the size of its manufacturing and storage facilities to 53,000 square feet, as well as it overall production capacity. It also upgraded to its waste water treatment processing plant in order to match its increased capacity.

The firm’s chair Edward Gough said that the addition of solar panels at the site was “good for Beacon Foods, our customers and the environment​​”.

“Against the background of ever-rising energy costs, we believe the investment in the solar panels is a wise move for the company as we prepare for continued business growth​​,” added Gough.

Read the full story here​​.

Timothy Taylor’s announces plan to expand Keighley brewery

Timothy Taylor’s confirmed in November its plan to expand its brewery in Keighley, West Yorkshire.

The brewer has been based at the site for the past 160 years and will spend £9m on the project.

In a subsequently approved planning application that Timothy Taylor’s submitted to Bradford Council, the brewer set out the proposed improvements to its facilities and production lines.

Chief executive Tim Dewey said that the investment was a “significant​” one for the beer maker and declared that the works would take five years to complete.

“While the plan provides for increased capacity at the brewery, importantly, it will also enhance our resilience, health and safety, and ability to deliver quality beer as it will significantly upgrade our facilities, including additional storage for our Knowle Spring water (used in all our beer), yeast care, and cleaning​​,” he wrote in an article first published in the Yorkshire Post.

Read the full story here​​.

Wyke Farms invests £10m in butter dairy facility

This March, independent dairy producer Wyke Farms announced that it had invested £10m in a new butter dairy facility.

The investment allows Wyke Farms to produce butter with a longer shelf life, meaning it can be exported to new markets and stored for longer by consumers and retailers.

The dairy products manufacturer brought its carbon neutral Ivy’s Reserve Salted Farmhouse Butter, produced at the facility, to market earlier year, while it also produces conventional and organic butters at the dairy.

Reflecting on the development, Wyke Farms managing director Rich Clothier said: “The world butter market is worth nearly 20 billion US$ and is predicted to grow by 50% by 2027. Increasingly, people across the world are looking for premium dairy products with provenance and history – butter is no exception. ​

“This investment will allow us to offer our multi-award-winning Somerset single-churned artisan butters, with longer shelf life, into regions across the world​.”​

Read the full story here​​.

Radnor Hills opens expanded facilities

Soft drink manufacturer Radnor Hills opened its expanded facilities in Powys, Wales, this April.

The firm invested in new production facilities, a quality assurance laboratory, a £2.5m office complex for staff and a conference building. It also upgraded its production lines with a new labeller and conveyer system.

A glass line investment worth £4.5m was completed in three phases, while an additional filler for a PET line and a new steam system were added.

Radnor Hills founder and managing director William Watkins said at the time that the investment in its facilities would be matched by additional spending on the firm’s staff team.

“During the last two years, over a hundred new jobs have been created and further job opportunities and apprenticeships are available throughout 2023, aligned with our expansion plans,” ​continued Watkins.

“We are also committed to environmental sustainability. Radnor is a zero to landfill site and our environmental management system and site have been certified to ISO 14001 standards.”​

Read the full story here​​.