Pilgrim’s UK has announced the latest enhancement at its Bodmin site as part of a £1.8m investment.

The investment forms part of Pilgrim’s UK’s ongoing strategy to maximise operational capacity and further strengthen the sustainability of its sites as it continues its progress towards net zero.

The Bodmin site has long been a leader in supplying cooked bacon, meeting the highest quality standards of some of the UK’s biggest food-to-go and QSR retailers. The investment has funded new high-speed packing lines and a storage racking system – which increases overall pallet size by 20% to 120 spaces – maximising the site’s operational capacity.

This has also allowed the site to expand its cooked bacon offer and further diversify its capabilities. It is now able to process more than 400 tonnes of gammon per week and 80 tonnes of cooked bacon and played a major role in supplying Pilgrim’s UK’s key retail customers this Christmas.

As part of its target to reach net zero CO2 emissions in its own operations by 2030, the business has also invested in greenhouse gas reduction projects to reduce electricity and gas usage on-site.

The entire Bodmin factory uses LED lighting, currently gets over half (53%) of its power from solar PV on its roof, and has plans to add further panels throughout the site with the aim of being completely off-grid during generating hours.

An entire new forklift and electric pallet truck fleet have also been added, with built in card access and shock monitoring to increase the safety of workers.

Daniel Inch, site director at Pilgrim’s UK, said: “Our Bodmin factory plays a vital role in the Pilgrim’s UK network. This package of investment forms part of our ongoing strategic focus on enhancing operations and increasing capacity across our UK business, while taking important strides towards our net zero commitment.

“These enhancements will help us continue to deliver high quality products while consistently maintaining 100% service levels, even during peak seasonal periods.

“Investing in state-of-the-art equipment and renewable tech like this, alongside nurturing our 270-strong team of dedicated people, while encouraging new talent into the industry, are key to ensuring a bright future for our Bodmin site.”

Simon Taylor, commercial director at Pilgrim’s UK, added: “Our Bodmin site is known for the breadth of cooking styles we offer, as well as the consistent delivery of high-quality service and technical standards. This new investment has unlocked further potential and is attracting new customers keen to improve the quality of their cooked bacon range.”