Premier Foods Invests In Ambrosia Production 

Credit: Zety Akhzar/Shutterstock.com

UK’s Premier Foods is investing £19m ($25.6m) astatine its Lifton tract successful Devon to boost Ambrosia dessert production.  

In a connection released coming (22 September), Premier Foods said nan finance comes successful “response to maturation successful user demand” and intends to “improve efficiency”. 

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The investment, spanning 3 years, will beryllium implemented successful 2 stages. 

Premier Foods said nan first phase, costing £9m, has “modernised” nan accumulation of Ambrosia atom pudding and custard by adding a caller custard filling statement and high-speed packing lines. 

The 2nd phase, involving a £10m spend, is presently underway. 

It includes a “small” mill hold to accommodate a caller custard-making facility, expected to beryllium completed by adjacent summer.  

Premier Foods anticipates that nan enhanced ratio from these upgrades will create further capacity astatine nan site, enabling it to meet nan rising user request for Ambrosia porridge pots. 

The upgraded high-speed process is designed to trim power depletion by 50% compared to accepted cooking methods, according to nan company. 

Additionally, nan proprietor of Sharwood’s brands plans to displacement its custard and atom pudding pots to recyclable packaging. 

Rachel Matheson, mill wide head astatine Premier Foods Lifton site, said: “This finance shows really committed we are to Lifton and to keeping our manufacturing present successful nan UK. Ambrosia is 1 of Britain’s astir loved nutrient brands, and we are proud to support making it correct present successful Devon.  

“The porridge pots person been a immense hit, and it is awesome to spot really occurrence for illustration this enables america to reinvest successful nan site, backmost into our teams and successful accrued capacity. Our tract has been portion of nan Lifton organization for complete 100 years and we are conscionable arsenic excited astir what’s coming next.” 

The Lifton installation employs complete 320 group and produces 65 cardinal kg of custard and atom pudding, utilizing much than 50 cardinal litres of beverage originated from West Country farms. annually 

The announcement comes just a period after Premier Foods’ acquisition of Merchant Gourmet for £48m. 

Merchant Gourmet, known for its ready-to-eat products, is expected to make £28m successful gross successful nan twelvemonth ending 28 March. 

In its first-quarter results released successful July, Premier Foods reported a flimsy summation successful group sales, rising by 0.2% to £239.7m.  

The company’s capacity is divided into market and saccharine treats sectors.  

The market conception knowledgeable a 2.8% diminution successful income to £174.4m, pinch nan branded products wrong this class dropping 2.2% to £158.4m. Conversely, nan saccharine treats conception saw a robust 9.1% summation successful sales, totalling £65.3m. 

For nan afloat financial twelvemonth of 2024, Premier Foods recorded unchangeable income of £1.15bn, pinch operating profit up by 1.9% to £181.1m.  

Both nett profit and diluted net per stock roseate by 11% and 14.1 pence, respectively.