Holmach, Lagarde Autoclaves and Jorgensen Engineering have delivered a major £4.5 million sustainability‑led upgrade to Premier Foods’ Mr Kipling steam pudding line — a project that marks one of the most significant engineering overhauls in the brand’s recent history.

The trio were chosen for their combined technical expertise, long‑standing relationship with Premier Foods and their ability to deliver a fully integrated, future‑proofed solution centred on greener processing.

The Carlton bakery investment replaces an inherited, water‑intensive raining‑water retort system with a modern, energy‑efficient thermal processing line built around three static Lagarde four‑basket retorts, custom‑designed trays and a Jorgensen robotic handling system engineered specifically for the site. For Premier Foods, the goal was clear from the outset: cut energy and water use, eliminate reliance on gas‑fired steam generation and transition to a more sustainable, electrically powered process.

Why Holmach, Lagarde and Jorgensen were chosen

Premier Foods’ sustainability ambitions — including a £2.1 million on‑site solar farm — meant the business needed partners capable of delivering a step‑change in environmental performance without compromising the delicate structure and quality of Mr Kipling’s dense, viscous steam puddings.

Holmach’s 25‑year relationship with Premier Foods, combined with its exclusive UK representation of both Lagarde and Jorgensen, made it the only supplier able to offer a single‑responsibility turnkey solution spanning thermal processing, automation and line integration.

Chris Holland, managing director of Holmach, said: “Premier Foods has been a Holmach client for over 25 years, so we were delighted to be awarded this highly technical contract. Projects of this complexity demand absolute confidence in your supply chain, and that is exactly what a relationship built over that length of time delivers.”

Lagarde’s patented steam/air retort technology was a decisive factor. UK‑based trials demonstrated that the system could achieve validated sterilisation with precise temperature control, automatic F₀ calculation and gentle handling — all essential for maintaining sponge structure, moisture and the signature Mr Kipling mouthfeel. The trials also showed major reductions in energy and water consumption, aligning directly with Premier’s sustainability goals.

What the engineering partnership will deliver

The new line combines Lagarde’s thermal processing with a fully automated Jorgensen handling system designed to maximise uptime and eliminate manual intervention. Instability of individual pudding pots meant automation had to be exceptionally precise. Jorgensen’s solution begins with robotic loading into custom trays, forming neatly stacked batches before a high‑speed shuttle transfers them to the retorts.

After processing, trays are automatically tilted for dewatering, unloaded by a dedicated robot and fed into a controlled single‑file flow towards packing. The line integrates Premier’s existing dryer and introduces an AI‑powered vision system to check seal integrity, followed by checkweighing and X‑ray inspection to ensure every pot meets specification.

Reliability is strengthened by Linefact, Jorgensen’s real‑time diagnostics platform, which captures continuous sensor data, provides instant video playback and uses predictive AI to reduce downtime. Engineers from both organisations can access live insights via Google Glass or HoloLens, enabling rapid remote support.

Environmental performance is embedded throughout. Lagarde’s direct steam injection retorts deliver 30–80% reductions in steam and water use compared with traditional systems, while Jorgensen’s energy‑efficient motion control and durable stainless‑steel construction support long‑term sustainability.

Together, Holmach, Lagarde and Jorgensen have delivered a cleaner, smarter and more resilient production line — one that strengthens Mr Kipling’s manufacturing future while cutting the environmental footprint of Britain’s best‑loved steam puddings.