ISG Jackson Special Projects has commenced work on a £1.3 million design and build project to increase food processing and warehouse capacity for Premier Foods at its Bury St Edmunds production facility.

The contractor will build a new dry goods warehouse on site and extend the existing food preparation building, to enable the UK’s largest food producer to increase production of household name products such as Branston and Sharwoods.
The site is on a flood plain and to mitigate the effects of any future flooding events within the 861 sq m new dry goods warehouse, the building has been carefully designed with louvres around its perimeter up to a half metre height. Nothing will be stored below this level and ISG Jackson will also construct an office building within the structure above this half metre threshold. The louvres enable water to access the building, but also, critically, to flow out of the building once a flood recedes, helping to minimise disruption to operations.
The steel frame, metal clad warehouse and food production extension, will be erected whilst the site remains live and fully operational. Work will be carefully phased and strict controls put in place to ensure no dust or contaminants can enter the sterile food production units. The programme of works also includes the construction of a new cold room and freezer room rated to temperatures of -21°C, in an existing part of the production facility. The scheme is scheduled for completion in September.
Stuart Talbot, divisional director for ISG Jackson Special Projects, commented:“Maintaining continuity of operations is critical for Premier Foods at their Bury St Edmunds site, and we have developed a robust programme of works to ensure that we do not interfere with any aspects of production.