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Snack giant Pladis, owner of the McVitie’s and Jacob’s brands, has today (14 July 2025) announced a £68 million investment across its UK operations.

The company has allocated the majority of the cash to its manufacturing sites in the North West of England, aiming to help ‘supercharge’ the growth of its popular snacking brands.

The additional capital will be used to increase capacity, capability and productivity through the introduction of more automated lines and upgraded factory infrastructure.

Investments are also expected to cut 876 tonnes of carbon emissions each year across the biscuit maker’s British operations – the equivalent of removing approximately 440 cars off the road. The investment rollout is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

In Stockport, home of the McVitie’s Jaffa Cake, Pladis will invest £21 million to implement a new chocolate moulding line, featuring advanced robotic technology.

Liverpool’s Aintree site, which produces Jacob’s Cream Crackers, will benefit from a £33 million investment to support a factory refurbishment project. This includes the installation of new ovens and infrastructure.

In Carlisle, £2 million will be invested into the savoury assortments department. This will result in the bakery recruiting, onboarding and training 48 new colleagues. As the world’s oldest biscuit factory, the site has been in operation since 1831 and currently employs around 800 people.

The investments into the North West follow new data revealing that Pladis’ manufacturing operations generate almost £240 million for the regional economy each year.

An additional £12 million has been allocated to support infrastructure across Pladis’ other UK sites, which include facilities in Halifax, North London and Leicester.

Mete Buyurgan, Pladis’ UK & Ireland managing director, said: “Today’s announcement is an important milestone in renovating our sites and unlocking capacity for our growth story”.

“We have a fantastic suite of much-loved brands, baked by dedicated colleagues, and we have a responsibility to continue to nurture these brands for customers and consumers across the world. The news of these investments we are sharing today will enable us to achieve this.”

Pladis was founded in 2016 and now employs a workforce of over 16,000 people across 27 bakeries and factories in 11 countries. Its brands are sold in more than 110 nations. Group revenues, including the UK, increased by 8% year-on-year to £2.8 billion in the most recently reported financial year.