Branston invests £6M in factory upgrade
The company invested in a state-of-the-art grading system to improve efficiency at the site, allowing it to grade and size 2,500t of potatoes a week.
Branston has also installed a new low-energy storage system to adjust the temperature of potatoes to the optimum level for prepacking, helping to reduce waste.
John Griffin, general manager at Branston’s Lincoln site, said: “We have to continually modernise and adapt to the ever-changing food industry in order to have a sustainable business.
‘Ever-changing food industry
“By installing cutting-edge technology into our ways of working, we are ensuring that we remain at the forefront of an evolving industry.”
This investment followed major redevelopment work at the company’s Perthshire site. It also complemented Branston’s recent prepared foods factory extension in Lincoln, both of which form part of the company’s strategy to meet increased customer demand and reduce its environmental impact and food waste.
Griffin added: “Ongoing investment in our systems is vital to not only Branston as a business but also to our customers. This new technology means that they can be confident that we are doing all we can to put only the best products on the plates of their customers.”
‘Investment in our systems is vital’
Last October, Branston partnered with Tesco to open a £5M extension of its Lincoln factory and created more than 20 new jobs. The facility included two new batch peeling lines for potatoes of all shapes and sizes, including those that appear visually unappealing.
Branston is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of potatoes to UK retailers and wholesalers, as well as providing seed for potato growers. It has sites in Lincoln, Scotland and the South West, with Lincoln also being the home to its prepared foods factory.
Meanwhile, Burts Chips has boosted capacity by 20% at its Plymouth factory and created new jobs, after investing £3M in a new high-speed potato frying line to meet export demand for its products.
