Ferrero plans to build plant to make Nutella in the UK
While the final decision on the location of the site is yet to be decided, said Christian Walter, md for Ferrero UK and Ireland, it is likely to be centrally located, probably in the Midlands, close to its distribution hub in Wolverhampton, which is managed by third-party logistics provider Culina Logistics.
Walter informed Food Manufacture that the decision to build the new facility would be contingent on Ferrero meeting its projected growth targets in the UK. The site would probably be used to manufacture Ferrero's Nutella-branded hazelnut spread, which is currently supplied from France.
Because Nutella is much bulkier than the company's other confectionery products, and packaged in glass, it makes sense to manufacture it closer to its end market, said Walter.
"As we have very ambitious plans to double our volume, at some point we will need local production," said Walter. "So it means we need to build up the volumes so that a local production site is reasonable and efficient. That will obviously reduce the transport of products coming from the Continent and make the whole exercise more flexible to the local market."
As well as expanding sales of Nutella, Ferrero expects to drive sales of its Kinder Chocolate and Kinder Surprise ranges here too, while introducing a new chilled handheld product range.
See Big Interview in this month's issue of Food Manufacture magazine.
