Branston Ltd has officially opened its £3.5 million high-tech, high-care, environmentally-friendly Prepared Factory.

Over 100 guests were joined by TV chef James Martin at the celebration, which saw the company formally embark on its latest venture: building its prepared potato and vegetables business alongside its established and successful fresh potato operation.

Branston Chairman Chris Howard, Managing Director Graeme Beattie and James marked the occasion by adding the final sections to an innovative wooden art installation, which will be displayed in the new factory’s reception area.

Branston is already the category leader for Tesco prepared potato products and has a number of other customers in the convenience sector, both in the UK and overseas. The new Prepared Factory will enable the business to increase production of its existing ranges and also give the flexibility to provide bespoke solutions for retailers and food service customers alike.

The new 2,500m2 factory is one of the most advanced food production facilities in the country. Over 300,000 packs per week are currently produced on four production lines, though Branston could double this output immediately if required.

Thirty people have joined Branston as a result of building the new factory and the number of new recruits is expected to rise as production increases. The building itself could also grow in size, as it has been designed to allow an extension to be added with minimal disruption.

As well as being extremely flexible and lean in terms of manufacturing, Branston’s Prepared Factory is also one of the most environmentally sensitive production facilities in the UK. The factory boasts a range of features all minimising carbon emissions. Water for the factory comes from its own bore hole and the heating system is fuelled by a waste wood burner which will create heat from the 20 tonnes of waste potato boxes and pallets that Branston currently disposes of each year. Branston’s aim is for to the factory to become completely independent of all external utilities within a year.

Speaking at the event Mr Howard said: “Since the very beginning Branston has focused on providing the highest quality produce and service to our customers. Combined with innovation, a desire to continually improve on what we do and by working with the best growers in the country, we’ve developed into a highly successful business. Today sees the next stage in our development. Branston Prepared and this new factory will allow us to develop further in a growing market, that of high quality, delicious, convenient prepared potato and vegetable products. Everyone at Branston is incredibly excited and optimistic about the future of Branston Prepared and we’re looking forward to working with both our existing and new customers to help them grow their businesses too.”

Mr Beattie was keen to stress the environmental aspects of the factory: “Branston is an environmentally-focused business. We rely on the environment for our raw materials: potatoes and other vegetables too. It is fitting that we’ve placed environmental best practice at the heart of everything we do. All of our production sites are already ISO 14001 accredited; we were among the first companies to employ a dedicated Environmental Manager; and we were delighted to become the first company in the food and agriculture sector to receive the Carbon Trust Standard. This new factory has been designed to be sustainable for the long term – from both a financial and environmental perspective.”

TV chef James Martin got to grips with some of Branston’s Prepared products first hand, cooking up a selection of quick, easy and great tasting dishes at the event. “People are busier than ever but they’re also increasingly interested in good, healthy food. Using products like these produced by Branston means they can get the best of both worlds. The food tastes great, is quick and easy to cook and frees up time to prepare the rest of the meal. It’s also great to see a business like Branston continuing to flourish amongst so much doom and gloom. I wish them continued success as they grow the business and continue with their excellent environmental initiatives”.

Branston Prepared is currently producing a selection of product ranges, with the emphasis on making potatoes and other vegetables quick and easy for consumers to cook at home. It has the capabilities to develop new bespoke solutions for retailers and foodservice customers as it aims to build its share of the £720 million prepared vegetables market.