Fresh Direct has invested £2m in its Bicester site as it looks to scale up in order to meet increased demand for its Fresh Kitchen brand, which has seen a huge increase in production.
The size of the company’s manufacturing facility will now be increased by 20% to allow for additional ovens and blast chillers. A further high-volume boiling pan is planned for early 2023.
“Historically, Fresh Kitchen manufactured products for foodservice operators looking to elevate their menu with premium quality ingredients and finished dishes that were either difficult, or time consuming, for caterers to make in-house,” said James Chilton, manufacturing manager at Fresh Kitchen.
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“However, with many operators struggling to attract skilled kitchen staff, we are now seeing demand for a much wider range of products, including many that would previously have been made in-house. We are able to provide caterers with high quality finished products of great consistency, and an escape from the headache of trying to find and retain staff capable of making these products in-house.”
In line with the increased production capability Fresh Kitchen has also added to its team of development chefs with two new developments chefs and one product development executive being added to the existing group.
