AMC Group are based in Spain and has sites across 50 countries including the UK. The company provides products to supermarkets, wholesalers and food service providers across fresh produce, flowers and natural beverages.
The 55,000 square feet site has created over 100 local jobs and aims to supply the growing demand for healthier food options.
Building on the £11million facility started in February 2018. The production of dairy-free products, baby food and soups started in August.
The new juice facility has the capacity to provide the whole of the UK with freshly squeezed orange juice. In order to meet demand 960 oranges can be squeezed in a minute.
Mike Bullock, fresh foods director at AMC Group, commented: “There’s an exciting future in store for the site. Plant-based products are in huge demand and there is a gap in the market for a dairy-free factory producing fresh, quality products at scale.
“Freshly-squeezed juice is in double digit growth in the UK compared to a relatively flat juice market and we can deliver in terms of consistency way better than ever before.”
AMC Group has secured Sainsbury’s as its first customer for freshly squeezed juice and has just started production of a number of premium lemonades for Waitrose’s Truly Scrumptious summer range.
Terry Haigh, managing director of the new factory, said: “Everything has been purpose-built so, not only do we have the latest technology for food manufacturing, we also have solar panels to provide a fifth of the site’s energy and we have a ‘zero to landfill’ commitment to environmentally responsible practices.
“All our waste water is recycled after particles are sieved out and the fruit peels will be used for animal feed or fuel pellets.”