Pepsico has revealed a £58 million investment in its Walkers Leicester factory – its biggest investment in the UK in the last 25 years.
The factory in Leicester is one of the world’s largest crisp factories and home to Walkers crisps and snacks, which celebrates its 75th birthday this year. The investment will see a new manufacturing line installed, the replacement of existing machinery with more sustainable equipment, as well as an extensive upgrade of employee facilities for the site’s 1,120-strong workforce.
Pepsico has invested more than £120 million in its UK manufacturing operations and supply chain since 2020.
Jason Richards, senior vice president and general manager, Pepsico UK & 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.“
Installation of the new line will increase capacity at the factory and enable the production of more Walkers snacks, notably Wotsits and Monster Munch.
Wotsits Giants and Monster Munch Giants, which are currently manufactured in Europe, will be made in Leicester once construction is complete in 2024, helping reduce transport-related emissions by an estimated 915 tonnes a year, equivalent to taking around 540 cars off UK roads.
Further upgrades include changing from gas fired ovens to electric ones, supplied with 100% renewable electricity, helping cut around 1,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually – equivalent to the heating and cooking related emissions of 366 UK households.
New compact packaging equipment will also be installed to reduce the amount of virgin plastic used in multipack outer packaging by 56 tonnes a year.
The funding will also bring in innovative technology to enable the development of further healthier ranges from 2024, and open up new training and upskilling opportunities for Leicester employees, with up to 100 new roles being created to manage workload across the new equipment and technology.
A major refurbishment of employee facilities is underway, with training areas, a new on-site restaurant, modern meeting rooms and a dedicated celebration space near completion.