Potato processing company Branston has opened a new £5m prepared foods factory extension in Lincolnshire, England.
Branston has expanded the plant’s capacity in partnership with British supermarket chain Tesco which has been looking for innovative methods to tackle food waste.
Tesco fresh food commercial director Matt Simister “With thousands of people across the UK having to use food banks every day, at Tesco we are constantly looking for new ways to reduce food waste with everything we grow and sell.
“This new partnership between Branston and Samworth and new facility means that in addition to our Farms Brands and Perfectly Imperfect ranges, we will be able to use up to 95% of our growers’ crops and save edible produce from being wasted.”
The new prepared foods factory would produce around 3,500 tonnes of potato per week to be sold exclusively in Tesco stores in the UK.
For the expansion, Branston has added two new batch peeling lines which have now turned the facility into one of the largest peeling and processing facilities in the region.
Expansion of the prepared ingredients facility has resulted in 20 new jobs.
At the new facility, Branston will peel off potatoes which are not suitable for the fresh market and yet edible. It will also mash them before supplying to convenience food producer Samworth Brothers which produces a variety of Tesco’s ready meals.
According to Branston MD James Truscott said: “The new state of the art peelers have the capacity to cope with potatoes of all shapes and sizes – the wonky veg – which can be used to supply Samworth Brothers to make mashed potatoes for its range of Tesco ready meals.
“Working in partnership adds value to all three businesses. We have to continually modernise and adapt to the evolving food industry in order to have a sustainable business.”
In July, the potato processing company announced an investment of £1.7m at its Abernethy site in Scotland for enhanced production.
