Premier Foods fortifies cake production at Mr Kipling

Premier Foods has completed a significant £2.1 million investment in a new solar energy farm at its Carlton Bakery, Yorkshire, the primary manufacturing hub for the iconic Mr Kipling brand.

This major infrastructure project is designed to enhance site resilience, reduce operational costs, and power the vast scale of UK cake production.

The two-year project sees the installation of a 2.2MW solar farm across 2.9 hectares of vacant land on the site. The system comprises 3,500 photovoltaic panels, representing a critical move toward energy independence for one of the region’s largest food production facilities, which can employ up to 1,000 staff at peak.

Once fully commissioned next month, the installation is projected to supply up to 75% of the Carlton Bakery’s electricity requirements during peak production hours on sunny days. This self-generated power will drive all key manufacturing processes, from high-volume mixers and ovens to sophisticated packaging and automation lines.

Nick Brown, ESG director at Premier Foods, highlighted the strategic manufacturing benefits: “Our Carlton Bakery was the largest purpose-built bakery in the world when it opened in the 1970s, and it remains the biggest bakery in the UK. This investment ensures it’s part of a more sustainable future.

“By generating more of our energy needs on site, we’re not only reducing our carbon footprint but making our operations even more resilient against external energy fluctuations. It’s also positive that the solar farm has the capability to potentially export electricity back into the local electricity grid, when we are producing more electricity than we need.”

The solar project is a core component of Premier Foods’ broader Enriching Life Plan commitment to reaching net zero. Expected technical impacts include:

• Carbon reduction: an anticipated annual reduction in carbon emissions of 468 tonnes.
• Cost efficiency: delivery of substantial annual savings in energy costs, bolstering the long-term financial resilience of the facility.

Steve Morton, manufacturing director and factory general manager at Carlton Bakery, reinforced the operational impact: “We’re proud Carlton is playing a part in making food manufacturing more sustainable. The whole team is excited to see the solar panels go live. This facility has been central to UK cake production for over 50 years, and this is the next really exciting step in its story, future-proofing our capability.”

The Carlton project is the latest stage in a wider £3.1 million capital expenditure programme in solar across Premier Foods’ manufacturing estate, which includes a completed £0.5 million system at its Stoke bakery and a further £0.5 million project currently underway at its Ashford site.