A UK food ingredients manufacturer is expanding its footprint in the Midlands with the addition of a new 990sq ft development kitchen, designed to accelerate innovation and improve service for customers across the country.
The fourth generation family business Macphie has taken on a second unit at its Midlands Centre near Berkswell, just outside Birmingham.
The new space is being fitted out to serve as a fully-equipped development kitchen, boosting the Scottish ingredient manufacturer’s capacity to tailor and trial new products in collaboration with its customers.
Originally opened in 2017, the Midlands Centre was created with accessibility and customer engagement in mind. The facility sits just ten minutes from Birmingham International Airport and train station, providing a central hub for clients across the UK.
The new kitchen will allow Macphie’s chefs, bakers and technical teams to work more closely with customers during development sessions – enabling real-time feedback, faster decision making, and more efficient routes to market for new products.
Ed Widdowson, CEO at Macphie, said: “This expansion underlines our commitment to delivering a world class experience for our customers, not just at our headquarters in Scotland but across the UK and beyond.
“By enhancing our capabilities in the Midlands, we’re creating a space that brings our people and our partners closer together, enabling faster innovation, better product development and stronger relationships.
“We’re also excited about the opportunity this gives us to tap into new pools of talent, particularly in food development and bakery innovation, which will be a big part of our long-term growth.”
While the Glenbervie-based team will continue to support the facility, the site already has its first full-time member of staff in place, Sebastian Penney, who has recently been appointed as Macphie’s new bakery product manager. The long-term ambition is to build a dedicated team around the new facility.
The transformation of the additional unit is now complete and the new space is fully-operational.
Macphie has held B Corp certification since 2015 and produces an extensive range of food ingredients including ready-to-use sauces, bakery mixes and inclusions. It supplies major food brands, wholesalers and manufacturers in the UK and internationally.
