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Premier Foods has announced a major £36 million investment to upgrade and expand its manufacturing facility in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK, marking the company’s largest site investment in more than 15 years.

The move will more than double the group’s annual cooking sauce production capacity and bring manufacturing of its Loyd Grossman sauces in-house by early 2028.

The phased investment, running through to 2029, includes the installation of a high-speed manufacturing line designed to significantly boost efficiency and productivity. Additional upgrades include expanded storage facilities and a new link road to streamline on-site logistics.

The Worksop site, which currently produces Sharwood’s, Loyd Grossman, Homepride and other major brands – including Batchelors, Bisto, Saxa and Oxo – employs around 500 people.

The expansion will allow Premier Foods to internalise production of its Loyd Grossman cooking sauces, which are currently manufactured by a third-party supplier. The company expects this shift to secure long-term supply, support innovation and unlock further growth opportunities across its sauces portfolio.

Alongside the investment, Premier Foods has extended its licensing agreement with Loyd Grossman until at least 2034, with an option to renew for an additional five years.

The brand, launched in partnership in 1995, has grown an average of 4.7% annually over the past five years and has benefited from ongoing innovation in areas such as pizza sauces, no-added-sugar ranges and most recently a premium line launched to mark the partnership’s 30th anniversary.

“A key pillar of our growth strategy is investing in our supply chain to increase productivity and efficiency,” said Alex Whitehouse, CEO of Premier Foods. “This significant investment will enable us to more than double our annual cooking sauces production capacity, while enhancing our capabilities for innovation and improving the site for our colleagues.”

Grossman welcomed the extended agreement, commenting: “We share a passion for creating great-tasting products made with the very best ingredients. This renewed agreement reflects our shared ambition to keep innovating and to bring our sauces to even more customers across the UK.”

Whitehouse added: “Renewing our partnership with Loyd Grossman reinforces our belief in the future of this brand and our commitment to UK manufacturing and to the Worksop community".

The Worksop announcement follows Premier Foods’ recently confirmed £19 million investment in its Lifton Creamery in Devon, home to the Ambrosia brand.

The company has more than doubled infrastructure investment over the past two years and expects to spend £55 million in FY25/26 as part of its long-term supply chain modernisation strategy.