I.T.S is increasing its flavour manufacturing capabilities with the acquisition of a second facility, set to house new state-of-the-art flavour creation laboratories.
The new site, located close to the specialist flavour supplier’s existing premises in Newbury, Berkshire, will feature a modern innovation centre as well as customer product development areas, flavour sample bays, and dedicated application spaces for bakery, dairy, beverage, and confectionery.
I.T.S said these facilities would not only enable it to develop some fantastic new flavours but also give it the space to work directly with customers on product development and manufacture. Additionally, the I.T.S microbrewery and bar will be moved from the existing site to the new one and given a facelift.
New warehousing, meanwhile, will hold both raw materials and finished products, allowing I.T.S to offer rapid turnround times and a stable supply to customers, it said.
The current I.T.S facility will be converted into a purely manufacturing and technical site, which will increase flavour production capacity. The firm said it was aiming to have the new site operational by the end of this year.
I.T.S – the stylised acronym for International Taste Solutions – was established in 2009 by Mike Bagshaw with a focus on bringing innovation and injecting some fun into the flavours sector. The company now employs 24 people and supplies natural flavours throughout the food and beverage industries.
“When I set up I.T.S 15 years ago at my kitchen table, I wanted to shake up the flavours industry, inject some real innovation, and encourage customers to think outside the box,” commented Bagshaw.
“In recent years we have seen an explosion in popular culture, use of the internet and social media which, in turn, have fuelled fast changing food trends. As a proudly independent flavour house, we can keep on top of the latest trends and respond quickly to them, giving customers access to flavours which they may not be able to source easily from larger flavour suppliers.”
I.T.S said the move follows rapid year-on-year business growth, which has averaged 30% from 2021.
Bagshaw noted that the time had now come to invest in the next stage of his company’s growth. “These are exciting times for I.T.S and the whole team is looking forward to the next set of opportunities that this move will bring,” he added.
Earlier this year, I.T.S published a report on the food flavours tipped to be trending in 2024, along with the market influences that are driving them. Six key flavour trends were identified including Newfound Nostalgia, Creative Caramel, Forever Floral, Keep It Real, Barbie World, and Braver Flavours.
No comments yet