PepsiCo to invest £8m in Pipers Crisps’ Brigg factory

PepsiCo has on Wednesday announced an £8 million investment in its Pipers Crisps factory in Brigg, North Lincolnshire.

The investment will boost the production at the site by nearly 80 per cent to meet growing demand for the premium crisps.

The announcement coincides with the 20th anniversary of Pipers Crisps and marks five years since PepsiCo’s acquisition of the brand.

The investment will see new, more efficient fryers replacing the existing fryers, helping to reduce the site’s greenhouse gas emissions by over 200 tonnes a year, and the installation of two new packaging machines, allowing to make an extra half a million bags of Pipers Crisps per day.

The facilities for the factory’s 100 local employees will also be upgraded, including improvements to workspaces and staff changing rooms.

PepsiCo also looks to unlock further export opportunities for the brand, including to the Middle East, China and Japan, with the investment.

“Pipers is a much-loved brand with a rich heritage, and we’re delighted to be making this investment at such an exciting stage in our journey,” Mirjam Fogarty, head of operations, Pipers Crisps, said.

“From small independent pubs, cafes and farm shops, to working with some of the UK’s biggest wholesalers and hospitality operators, the funding will help us bring our delicious crisps to more people, wherever they are, and expand our brand internationally. With Pipers’ 20th birthday fast approaching, I’m looking forward to the next phase of our growth.”

The investment comes as Pipers Crisps continues its leadership in the UK’s premium ‘away from home’ crisp market, now accounting for a third of all sales in the segment amid rapidly increasing customer demand for its much-loved snacks.

Originally available in small independent pubs, bars, cafes and farm shops, Pipers has expanded its distribution network to include national wholesalers such as Booker, Brakes and Bidfood, alongside hospitality operators Mitchell & Butler, Stonegate and Youngs.