Walkers Leicester factory set to benefit from new £58m investment  

PepsiCo has announced a £58 million investment in their Walkers Leicester factory, the firm’ biggest investment in the UK in the last 25 years.

The factory in Leicester is one of the world’s biggest crisp factories and home to Walkers crisps and snacks, which celebrates its 75th birthday this year. The investment will see a new manufacturing line installed, the replacement of existing machinery with more sustainable equipment, as well as an extensive upgrade of employee facilities for the site’s 1,120-strong workforce.

“In 2023 we’re celebrating 75 years of Walkers crisps, so there’s no better time to renew our commitment to Leicester – a city and community that have been crucial to our success in the UK,” Jason Richards, senior vice president & general manager, PepsiCo UK & Ireland, said.

“As we look ahead to the next 75 years and future-proof our UK operations, this £58 million investment will transform our manufacturing site and installing state-of-the-art equipment will help us deliver on our ambitions on packaging and health. Alongside upgrades to meet increased demand for our snacks, we’re proud to be investing in creating better facilities for our people, who remain at the heart of bringing our most loved snacks to households across the country.”

PepsiCo said they have invested more than £120 million in their K manufacturing operations and supply chain since 2020. The scale of this latest investment is expected to secure the future of the factory and positioning Walkers for further growth in the long-term.

This announcement follows a £24 million investment in PepsiCo’s Lincoln factory announced in 2021, as well as further multimillion-pound investments in their Southern Region Distribution Centre in Leicester and the Skelmersdale and Coventry Walkers sites in recent years.