The three-year investment into the Lifton site comes as part of Premier Foods’ growth strategy to invest back into its manufacturing sites; and follows strong growth in the Ambrosia brand.
This £19 million investment is being delivered in two phases, with the first £9 million used to modernise the Ambrosia rice pudding and custard production through a new custard filling line and high-speed packaging lines. Featuring cutting edge tech, this is designed to streamline production, increase efficiency and allow for a switch to fully recyclable packaging.
The remaining £10 million is being used to build a small factory extension which will house a new custard-making plant. This phase is now underway and is expected to be completed by next summer.
“This investment shows how committed we are to Lifton and to keeping our manufacturing here in the UK,” commented Rachel Matheson, factory general manager at Premier Foods Lifton site.
She continued, noting the increasing demand for Ambrosia’s porridge pots – which were launched in 2022, marking the group’s entry into the breakfast category: “Ambrosia is one of Britain’s most loved food brands, and we’re proud to keep making it right here in Devon. The porridge pots have been a huge hit, and it’s great to see how success like this enables us to reinvest in the site, back into our teams and in increased capacity.
The Lifton site has been part of the local community since 1917, currently employing more than 320 people. It produces around 65 million kilograms of custard and rice pudding each year, using over 50 million litres of milk from West country farms.
Our site has been part of the Lifton community for over 100 years and we’re just as excited about what’s coming next
Rachel Matheson, factory general manager, Premier Foods - Lifton
Ben Palmer, one of the production managers, explained what this investment means to the site and the people who work there: “My father worked here most of his working life and growing up, I remember him talking proudly about being part of the making of such a well-loved brand. Now I’m helping to lead the next generation of investment and development at the same site; it’s a full-circle moment and shows just how much our factory and our famous brands mean to the people who work here and the wider community.”
