Finsbury Food Group has committed substantial capital to its Kara facility in Whitefield, Manchester, targeting enhanced production capabilities and operational efficiency at the foodservice dedicated bakery.

The factory, which manufactures 1.2 million bread rolls daily, serves national wholesalers and customers across hospitality, healthcare, education and quick-service sectors. Current product lines include floured baps, brioche-style buns and pizza doughballs.

The phased investment programme extends through 2026. Initial works centre on product consistency and quality enhancement, introducing robotic water splitting technology to expand surface design options for rolls and loaves. Upgrades to proofing and packing equipment form part of this first stage.

The second phase addresses product presentation alongside process optimisation. Responding to increased frozen doughball demand from quick-service operators, Kara will install upgraded pizza doughball production equipment, including new dividing machinery and reconfigured line layout designed to raise output capacity.

"We're upgrading almost every part of our production process, from proofing and slicing, to packing and wrapping, to improve quality, drive efficiency and unlock innovation for our customers," said Suzanne Cooper, Site Operations Manager at Kara.

The facility serves wholesale and out-of-home bakery markets exclusively, distinguishing it as Finsbury's sole foodservice-only production site. Acquired through the 2014 purchase of Fletchers Group of Bakeries, Kara forms part of Finsbury's strategy to strengthen its position in foodservice and export channels.

Parallel to production enhancements, the site has implemented energy reduction measures. Smart LED lighting systems, improved thermal regulation to minimise heat loss and site-wide energy management infrastructure contribute to Finsbury's environmental objectives.

The Manchester investment aligns with Finsbury Food Group's approach to building manufacturing capacity and technical capability across its operational network.