pladis’ ‘milestone’ investment sees £68m dedicated to automation and infrastructure for UK

pladis is ready to expand its UK operations as part of a £68m investment with the bulk of the cash earmarked for its sites in the North West of England.

The additional capital will be used to increase capacity, capability and productivity through the introduction of more automated lines and updated factory infrastructure.

The biscuit and cracker maker is also targeting a sustainability benefit. Investments in its UK operations are expected to cut 876 tonnes of carbon emissions each year – the equivalent of removing approximately 440 cars off the road.

In Stockport, the home of the iconic McVitie’s Jaffa Cake, pladis is investing £21 million to introduce a new chocolate moulding line featuring state-of-the-art robotic technology.

Liverpool’s Aintree site, known for baking Jacob’s Cream Crackers, will benefit from a £33 million overhaul. This comprehensive refurbishment includes the installation of new ovens and infrastructure, ensuring the facility is fit for the future.

In Carlisle, £2 million will be used to invest in the savoury assortments department, resulting in the bakery recruiting, onboarding and training 48 new colleagues. This historic site, the world’s oldest biscuit factory, has been in operation since 1831 and currently employs around 800 people.

The The company behind McVitie’s and GODIVA said the move is a “vote of confidence in the North West as a manufacturing powerhouse” comes on the back of new data which revealed pladis’ manufacturing operations generate almost £240 million for the regional economy each year.

An additional pot of £12 million has been allocated to support infrastructure across its UK sites which – alongside Stockport, Liverpool and Carlisle – include facilities in Halifax, Harlesden in North London and Leicester.

pladis’ UK & Ireland managing director, Mete Buyurgan hailed the announcement is an “important milestone” in renovating the sites and unlocking capacity for growth.

“We have a fantastic suite of much-loved brands, baked by dedicated colleagues, and we have a responsibility to continue to nurture these brands for customers and consumers across the world,” Buyurgan said. “The news of these investments we are sharing today will enable us to achieve this.”

This current investment rollout is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026.

UK highlights:

• Over 80 million packets of Chocolate Digestives sold each year in the UK – around 1.7bn McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives biscuits each year
• Almost 10 million packets of Chocolate Digestives exported from the UK each year to around 50 countries. 
• pladis estimates that McVitie’s has sold around 5.8 billion packets of McVitie’s Chocolate Digestives over the last 100 years.