The food and drink giant has unveiled a new processing plant at its manufacturing site in Madrid, creating 39 new permanent roles in the process and boosting the factory’s capacity by 50%.
Kraft Heinz has invested €70 million (£58.1 million) into the factory over the last three years, which has resulted in new high-speed filling lines and a new pilot plant located at the Nijmegen R&D centre.
Strengthen its position
The expansion project was a direct response to an increase in demand Heinz sauces across the region, as well as to strengthen the site’s position as the ‘most efficient’ Kraft Heinz factories in Europe.
Willem Brandt, president of the Kraft Heinz European and Pacific developed markets, said: “The expansion of our Alfaro factory marks an important step in our journey to become Europe’s number one player in sauces, in and out of home.
“With increased capacity and new, cutting-edge technology, we’ll be able to respond more readily to evolving culinary trends and tastes – including the demand for healthier versions of fan favourites, like Heinz mayonnaise.”
La Rioja, Alfaro
The Kraft Heinz factory in La Rioja, Alfaro produces a range of Heinz sauces for local and European consumption and processes around 25,000 tons of locally grown tomatoes each year for the company’s Orlando brand.
Spain is a key production centre for Heinz in Europe and boosting capability in the region plays a significant role in the company’s ambition to ‘lead the future of food’. This latest reflects the strategic importance of Heinz within the company’s growth plans and will help leverage the company’s scale to boost the brand’s presence in Europe.
Meanwhile, Aldi has announced plans to invest £67 million in upgrading its existing UK stores during 2025.
The discount retailer, which now has more than 1,000 stores in the UK, has spent almost £600 million on store improvements since 2017 and said that phase one of this latest round of updates has nearly been completed.
