Me and My Factory
3.Delifrance dough on new line
According to Bird, Délifrance has viewed the Southall factory as strategically important since acquiring it from Premier Foods in 2009.
A significant part of the company’s £30M investment into the site has gone into Renaissance, which includes a new stone-baked bread line, an innovation lab and a 500-pallet dry goods warehouse.
According to Bird, the stone-baked bread oven is made from Italian Serpentino stone, which gives a better heat transfer than traditional stone, giving the bread a rustic crust and an open texture.
Food Manufacture was particularly impressed with a machine that uses robotic arms to scarify bread, along with the latest dough lamination technology, and new weight regulation and control systems.
Bird says rustic bread is a key growth area. “Consumer awareness around bread has grown considerably. They are looking for more authenticity and variety, and we are able to deliver that with the Renaissance line,” he says.