Bells Food Group has spent £500k to create a dedicated cake bakery at a former council depot in Shotts, Scotland.

The new site, which is 4,500sq ft and located next to its Dykehead Bakery site, will create 10 new jobs for the business and is expected to be fully operational by Christmas 2018.

The cake manufacturing aspect of the business will move into the new facility, with the Dykehead Bakery focusing solely on pastry manufacturing.

The move follows Bells Food Group making a £3.6m investment in doubling its pastry production capacity at Dykehead and creating Bells Professional Pastry, a new arm of the business dedicated to the manufacture and supply of pastry.

“The investment in a dedicated cake bakery is the latest in a programme of capital expenditure and new product development across our sweet, savoury and pastry businesses,” said Bells Food Group managing director Ronnie Miles.

A planning application to support the redevelopment of the former council depot into a dedicated cake bakery is expected to be submitted in spring 2018.

“The investment by Bells is very welcome and it’s fantastic to see a national brand such as this put its faith in our community,” said councillor Thomas Cochrane. “It has been my pleasure working with Bells and the council to facilitate the sale, which will enable the company to expand within the town.  I hope the company continues to go from strength to strength.”