Wrights installs £1.2M pie line as expansion unfolds

The installation of the Rademaker pie line at its Crewe facility will give Wrights the capacity to double pie production, expand the product range and further improve quality and efficiency.

Wrights currently produces 150M savoury products a year and the latest investment will allow it to expand its sales to foodservice and retail customers.

Invested more than £10M ​

The family-run business produces a wide range of baked and unbaked products, including savouries, ready meals, sweets and sandwiches. It employs more than 450 people. Over the past five years, it has invested more than £10M in its facilities and distribution centre in Crewe.

The latest line replaces an older production facility, and will complement an existing line which shares the same tooling with 14 different tooling sizes and shapes providing enhanced flexibility.

As well as savoury and Christmas mince pies, the line will also enable Wrights to produce suet puddings, thanks to the extra 50ml depth capacity.

More varied range of products ​

Features of the new pie line include an option to double deposit with two different fillings into the same pie, allowing the company to produce a more varied range of products.

Individual weight controls on each depositor lane also provide more accurate measurement, reducing spillage and wastage. An automatic seeder at the end of the line enables herbs and seeds to be added to the product. In between the lanes, workers can manually add other toppings such as oven roasted root vegetables or crumb-based toppings.

“We are continuing to invest in our Crewe production facility and the installation of this new improved line underlines our commitment to providing customers with a wide choice of quality products that can be tailored to their individual specifications,”​ said Wrights operations director Neville Carruthers.