Additional 4,000 Square Meters for the Calbee-owned Seabrook Crisps
The owner of Seabrook Crisps, Calbee, a snack company with its headquarters in Japan, is investing in its UK plant to boost output by 70%.
Authorities have approved a 4,000-square-meter expansion at the potato chip manufacturer, which Calbee purchased in 2018 for an undisclosed amount. The property is located in Bradford, northern England.
A Calbee representative stated that Seabrook Crisps, which was once held by the private equity division of Lloyds Bank before being acquired by the Japanese snack manufacturer, will invest GBP12m in the initiative to create crinkle-cut potato chips, adding that the facility will create 15 jobs.
A GBP3m capital infusion was given to the same plant in 2021 to boost output by 10%. The latest investment, according to the spokeswoman, is the result of increased demand in the UK market.
The enlargement project is now under construction, with completion anticipated in July of the following year.
“The extension, which spans 4,000 square meters, will include new potato processing, frying, and bagging equipment, followed later by additional warehousing. Once fully complete, this expansion will lead to a 70% increase in manufacturing capacity. This investment supports our long-term strategy and ambition for greater scale, brand growth, and increasing our market share. By expanding our facility we will be growing our core crisp business and expanding into new formats and occasions while continuing to deliver great tasting, great quality, affordable products that consumers can enjoy every day,” Calbee said via the spokesperson, cited by Just Food.
In addition to its straight-cut line, Seabrook Crisps supplies major UK supermarkets with its puffed nibbles and rings. The majority of its vegetarian snacks are gluten-free and certified by Coeliac UK.
Harvest Snaps is a plant-based snack brand that Calbee distributes in the U.K. Calbee has another location in Deeside, north-east Wales, in addition to the Bradford complex.
