Premier Foods opens £20M line and creates 80 jobs

By Laurence Gibbons

- Last updated on GMT

The new line is capable of producing 300M cakes a year
The new line is capable of producing 300M cakes a year

Related tags Mr kipling Industry Premier foods

Premier Foods has opened its £20M production line at its Mr Kipling bakery in Carlton, Barnsley today (July 3) – creating 80 new jobs.

The new line will more than double capacity of its cake slices at the south Yorkshire site.

At full capacity the new production line could produce more than 300M snack pack slices a year helping Premier to meet growing demand, it added.

Premier Foods chief executive Gavin Darby said he was “very excited”​ about the future for Mr Kipling.

“Our cake business has grown significantly over the last nine months and the additional capacity and flexibility from this new investment will help us improve productivity and capture new growth opportunities,” ​he claimed. “It’s also a great vote of confidence in Barnsley and our colleagues at the Carlton bakery.”

Fastest selling cake

The snack pack format of individually packed slices is now the fastest selling Mr Kipling cake, Darby added.

The format responded to consumer demand for more convenient ‘on-the-go’ products.

DEFRA boss

“Our food manufacturing sector is bigger than cars and aerospace combined, generating over £100 billion for the economy.”

  • Elizabeth Truss

Mr Kipling was re-launched last year complete with new packaging, advertising and promotions.

The new line marked the introduction of innovative robotic technology at the site, the firm claimed.

The use of advanced robotics would increase the number of pack and case sizes possible, enabling greater flexibility to meet different consumer and retailer requirements, it added.

The line was opened by environment secretary Elizabeth Truss, who said iconic British brands like Mr Kipling were key to the food manufacturing sector’s success.

Benefits for Britain

“The new line is not only a boost to Yorkshire’s economy but will also ensure our UK farmers and producers’ benefit from the company’s commitment to source the majority of its ingredients from British suppliers,”​ she said.

Mr Kipling snack packs quick facts

  • Launched in 2011
  • All slices less than 160kcal
  • Most under 140kcal
  • Flavours include angel, chocolate, lemon, banoffee and caramel
  • Recently launched milkshake flavours

“I’m delighted to see Mr Kipling investing in this new production line which will boost productivity, provide 80 new jobs and apprenticeships for Barnsley, helping ensure that the every part of Britain benefits from a growing economy.”

Premier Foods sources 70 % of its ingredients for the slices, including wheatflour, sugar and glucose syrup, from UK suppliers and farmers.

The Carlton Bakery, which celebrates its 40th​ anniversary this year, employs 750 people, rising to 1,500 in seasonal periods.

Mr. Kipling is the UK’s leading cake brand with a 17% share of the £1bn packaged cake market, Premier claimed.

In the six months to March this year the packaged cake category grew 2.6% in value terms, according to IRI.

The Mr Kipling brand grew by 11% in the same period. Market share is up 1.3 percentage points and household penetration increased by 2.2 percentage points.

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