Cake maker plans £20m expansion

One of Newark’s biggest employers is planning a £20m factory expansion to meet growing demand.

Desserts manufacturer Bakkavor, which employs around 1,800 people, wants to expand its premises on Jessop Way.

The expansion would allow 270 more people to work on the site at any one time, meaning more jobs will be on the way.

Bakkavor has applied to Newark and Sherwood District Council for planning permission.

If the proposal goes ahead, Bakkavor said new jobs would be created in the second half of next year.

Newark MP Mr Robert Jenrick hailed the investment as another display of confidence in the area.

“Newark keeps on attracting inward investment and new jobs,” said Mr Jenrick.

“The employment market in Newark has probably never been stronger than it is today and is likely to keep on strengthening with moves such as this.

“Bakkavor’s decision is another display of confidence in the area and in the British economy.

“I wish them every success in their expansion.”

Bakkavor is a leading international manufacturer of freshly-prepared food to UK supermarkets and employs 18,000 people worldwide in 43 operating facilities.

The company said in its planning statement that investing £20m in the proposal would create £30m-worth of sales and keep it on track for annual growth of 3.5%.

Bakkavor makes a range of products for major UK food retailers, including egg custards, cream cakes, trifles, slices, pastries and doughnuts.

The Newark site is forecast to produce £149m in sales this year.

Hundreds of staff on-site

The extension, allowing it to make more trifles and pastries, would be at the rear of the factory. A canteen and offices would be built at the front.

The extension would provide additional bakery and assembly areas, which the company said were needed to deliver its future commercial plan.

It would open a fifth bay, which would incorporate a new bakery.

Bakkavor operates a shift pattern and at any one time there are 720 factory staff on-site, including 140 agency staff, and 100 office staff.

If its proposal goes ahead there will be capacity for 940 staff, including 200 agency workers, and 150 office staff.

Last year the company took on 117 extra staff to meet demand for new products, increasing its workforce to more than 1,800.

At that time the factory produced 170m packs of desserts a year, including 80m eclairs, 40m egg custards and 20m bowl trifles.

A spokesman for Bakkavor said: “This is an exciting time for Bakkavor Desserts as the business continues to grow.

“Our proposed investment will further enhance our capabilities as a leading desserts manufacturer and we anticipate that we will have a number of new jobs available in the second half of next year if this proposal goes ahead.”

The Bakkavor Group paid £130m to take over Laurens Patisseries in 2006.