Baker & Baker invests £2.9m in cookie line

News of the investment comes one month after the manufacturer announced the appointment of Graeme Williams as its new UK chief commercial officer​​, as Tim Ryan stepped down.

Rolled out over a number of months, the investment into the American Bakery style cookie line saw the installation of several new pieces of machinery – including a wirecutter, mixer and mixing bowls, and weighing hoppers.

Upskill and recruit

Baker & Baker also upskilled its existing workforce to operate the new equipment as part of the investment and also created eight new full-time positions to manage the additional capacity.

Other improvements to the site included new workspaces created on the factory floor for sieving and de-boxing and two bulk silos to contain bulk ingredients such as sugar and flour. Installation on the shop floor began in February and was completed in April.

John Lindsay, chief executive at Baker & Baker, commented: “We have extensive capabilities in manufacturing cookies across a variety of flavours and formats, and we continue to see strong demand from customers in the UK and Europe for both our own-brand and licensed cookies.​

‘Necessary investment’

“This investment was necessary to ensure we have the requisite capacity to service customers both now and in the future, whilst maintaining the quality of product that our consumers expect.”​

Food Manufacturer learned more about the innerworkings of Baker & Baker​​ when Matt Ball, plant manager within its gluten-free site in West Sussex, talked about the facility’s growth in innovation and capability, and how he’s championing safety and retention in his team.

Meanwhile, high street baker Greggs is leasing a new frozen production and logistics facility​ ​in a Derby-based smart park, as part of ambitious scale-up plans to support 3,500 stores.