‘Free from’ factory opens in UK first
The UK’s first dedicated gluten-, egg- and dairy-free manufacturing plant is now fully operational following an £8 million investment by food coatings firm Bowman Ingredients.
Bowman Ingredients is continuing to lead the way in the free from sector to meet increasing demand from its customer base of food manufacturers across Europe. The new production facility is the first of its kind in the UK to be dedicated solely to the production of gluten-, egg- and dairy-free crumb systems and coatings, including batter mixes, pre-dusts and dry mix marinades.
Rory Bowman, CEO at Bowman Ingredients, explains, “We have been at the forefront of innovation in gluten-free and free from food coatings for 15 years but this investment takes us to a whole new level. We are now able to supply the volumes we need to meet increasing demand from our customers in the UK and Europe.
“As well as expanding production, our dedicated gluten-free, egg and dairy free blending plant will allow us to develop new products, increase flexibility and improve response times. All products are manufactured to a specification of less than 5ppm (parts per million) of gluten, to ensure the highest level of brand protection for our customers.”
Featuring the latest production equipment and enhanced processing technology, the new plant has a total production capacity of 15,000 tonnes per annum of gluten-free, egg and dairy free coatings. The 40,000 sq ft building on the Elms Farm Industrial Estate in Bedford houses a new state-of-the-art manufacturing and blending plant, as well as warehousing and general office accommodation. The factory recently achieved Grade A in its first British Retail Consortium inspection.
