The Brecon-based business has purchased an upgraded, fully automated, six-lane, stick pack machine from Viking Masek, which joins two, smaller sachet packing machines at the modern production facility.
The investment, which gives the company greater flexibility to meet orders of all sizes, also includes an associated Markem 9750 continuous inkjet printer to code sachets.
The company has also launched a new range in sachets including Habanero wildflower honey, soya caramel sauce, olive oregano Provencal sauce, Tzatziki, garlic oil, chilli oil, garlic aioli, honey mustard marinade and semi-dried tomato sauce.
Its ingredients go into thousands of products, including sandwiches, ready meals, pizzas, soups, drinks and desserts, which can be found on supermarket shelves, airlines, restaurant chains and coffee shops, while customers also include food manufacturers and food service.
The company said it has been able to tailor-make recipes to customers requirements with the smaller sachets proving to be a very popular choice.
The company started supplying products in sachets on a small scale between 2022 to 2023 with a single lane machine capable of a weight range between 30 to 250 grams.
There are now two of these machines which each produce between 40 to 50 sachets per minute.
“These machines are great for when our customers require smaller volume orders, but, with rising demand for larger quantities, we needed to invest in an upgraded, multi lane machine,” explained Beacon Foods chairman, Edward Gough.
The latest machinery packs up to 240 sachets per minute - dependent of fill weight - and counts a set amount into finished packs. The sachets are 60mm wide and can be of varying length and weights of between 10 and 100 grams.
Established in 1993, the company is also a specialist producer of garlic, ginger and chili puree, roasted and char grilled vegetables and fruit ranges, relishes, chutneys, sauces, soups, confit and fruit compotes.