Lotus Bakeries expands Lembeke hub to fuel growth

Lotus Bakeries has officially broken ground on a major production hall expansion at its headquarters in Lembeke, a move that firmly cements the site’s status as the operational anchor of the company’s rapidly growing global supply chain.

While the consumer snacking giant continues to expand its manufacturing footprint across three continents, the newly launched Belgian project highlights the critical, irreplaceable role the Lembeke site plays within both Lotus Bakeries’ corporate strategy and the wider European food manufacturing trade.

The Lembeke expansion represents a major consolidation of industrial power in the region. Upon completion, the facility will hold the title of the largest single-product cookie production site in Europe.

While Lotus Bakeries has built dedicated Biscoff factories in Mebane, USA, to supply the Americas and Chonburi, Thailand, to supply the Asia-Pacific region, Lembeke remains the operational heart designed to service the vital European market. Increasing capacity here ensures the group can keep pace with surging international demand without diluting its core regional supply chain.

The Lembeke site serves as the ultimate anchor for brand equity and quality control. The iconic Biscoff cookie was invented on this exact site by Jan Boone in 1932. Maintaining and expanding production in Lembeke allows Lotus Bakeries to leverage decades of concentrated institutional know-how and process engineering, keeping the primary production hub at headquarters where corporate leadership can maintain absolute oversight over the signature recipe as it scales.

Jan Boone, CEO of Lotus Bakeries, noted during the ground-breaking ceremony that this expansion feels like a very natural next step in the globalisation of Biscoff. He stated that Biscoff was created in Lembeke more than 90 years ago, and from day one the company’s focus has been on quality, craftsmanship, and the power of branding. Boone also expressed gratitude to Flanders and the Municipality for their support and enthusiasm, adding that their trust gives the company the confidence to continue building the future of Lotus Bakeries right where the story began.

The Lembeke site is also serving as the group’s testing ground for balancing massive industrial scale with modern environmental and community expectations. Because the factory sits close to the local community, the project has been engineered to integrate harmoniously into its surroundings. The expansion serves as a benchmark for the group’s future global builds by incorporating advanced acoustic engineering, such as low-noise technologies and noise-reducing infrastructure, alongside extensive ecological rebalancing, which includes the replanting of trees and the creation of nearly one hectare of entirely new green space.

With all required permits secured and construction officially underway, the trade can expect the first commercial production output from the new Lembeke facilities to hit the market within two years. The investment will further fuel the momentum of a company that now employs 4,150 people globally and generated 1,355 million Euros in revenue in 2025, proving that even as Lotus grows into a multi-national snacking powerhouse, the road to international success remains firmly rooted in its Belgian home.