Walkers crisps said it is upgrading production facilities at one of the world’s biggest crisp factories through a £58 million investment. The crisp giant said the upgrade at its main Leicester site would also lead to 100 new jobs and make operations greener.
Part of the investment, it said, will meet growing demand for Wotsits Giants and Monster Munch Giants, which are currently manufactured in Europe. The changes are being made at its main UK factory site in Beaumont Leys on the outskirts of Leicester.
The factory already employs 1,120 people, and some of the money will be spent improving staff facilities, including putting in a new restaurant. The work should be finished next year.
According to the trade website The Grocer, Walkers was the UK’s third biggest grocery brand last year with sales of £1.25 billion. Cadbury topped the list, followed by Coca-Cola, with Nestle fourth and Pepsi Cola in fifth place.
US parent company PepsiCo has invested more than £120 million in its UK operations since 2020, and said the Leicester money would secure the future of the factory and set Walkers up for further growth.
Today’s news follows a £24 million investment in PepsiCo’s Lincoln factory announced in 2021, as well as further multi-million-pound investments in its Southern Region Distribution Centre in Leicester and its Skelmersdale and Coventry Walkers sites.
The business said the Leicester spending was its biggest investment in the UK in the last 25 years and would include new packaging equipment that would cut the use virgin plastic in its multipack bags.
The money will also help it switch from gas-fired ovens to electric ovens, powered by green energy –which it said will help cut around 1,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year. There will also be new mixing facilities so that it can develop healthier snack ranges.
Jason Richards, senior vice president and general manager of parent company PepsiCo UK and Ireland, said: “In 2023 we’re celebrating 75 years of Walkers crisps, so there’s no better time to renew our commitment to Leicester – a city and community that have been crucial to our success in the UK.
“As we look ahead to the next 75 years and future-proof our UK operations, this £58 million investment will transform our manufacturing site and installing state-of-the-art equipment will help us deliver on our ambitions on packaging and health.
“Alongside upgrades to meet increased demand for our snacks, we’re proud to be investing in creating better facilities for our people, who remain at the heart of bringing our most loved snacks to households across the country.”
