Planet Doughnut has unveiled a new product development kitchen at its bakery in Shrewsbury.
The £25,000 investment in the new facility is aimed at driving innovation and supporting the frozen doughnut supplier’s continued growth. It follows Planet Doughnut’s takeover by the Delves family earlier this year.
As a dedicated creative hub for recipe development and product innovation, it enables the team to explore new techniques, ingredients and formats. It also marks a key milestone for the business, which has historically operated as an oil and fryer-based bakery that has limited wider development until now.
Two new jobs have been created as part of the expansion move at the 14,000 sq ft SALSA-accredited factory in Shrewsbury, which was opened in 2021. Planet Doughnut said this helped reinforce its commitment to supporting local employment and strengthening in-house expertise.
The company revealed it had increased revenue by almost £1m year on year, whilst maintaining an “ambitious growth strategy” with a focus on extending its product portfolio – it previously said it was exploring savoury doughnuts as lunch alternatives.
“This is a significant and exciting step forward for Planet Doughnut,” said managing director Rob Jones. “Our new development kitchen gives us the freedom to innovate and push the boundaries of what we can offer.
“We’ve always been passionate about creating standout products, and this facility allows us to explore entirely new areas of dessert and sweet treat development. It’s a clear statement of intent about our future growth,” he added.
Product trials are to begin immediately, with a number of new dessert lines scheduled for launch in the coming months.
Another brand making a major play for the UK doughnut market is Mr Whippy, which recently unveiled a new £15m factory in Sheffield opening next year that is capable of producing up to two million doughnuts per week.
On the retail side, Rodeo Doughnuts has expanded its estate with its first location in Manchester, while Donutelier added two more sites in London including a flagship store on The Strand.
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