JPL Flavours invests £11m in high-tech headquarters on the Wirral

Family-led flavourings business JPL Flavours has opened a new £11m headquarters in Bromborough, Merseyside.

The business, which works with bakery clients include Krispy Kreme and Fox’s Burtons Companies, creates bespoke flavourings for the bakery market. JPL’s bake-stable flavours are designed to withstand high temperatures without losing their impact, and the business also produces flavourings to address ingredient challenges such as sugar reduction.

JPL was founded in Bromborough by Jake Lavelle but outgrew its original HQ and moved to a 24,000 sq ft site in Neston in 2019.

With a turnover of more than £10m last year, further growth has now prompted the business to return to Bromborough and invest in a 75,000 sq ft factory on Bassendale Road.

The new site is equipped with automated manufacturing systems, which JPL described as a rarity in UK flavour production that would help to provide both precision and efficiency.

The business is also preparing to patent an analytical process that allows it to uncover details in natural products, such as fruits, that were previously inaccessible. It said this can also be applied to sensory data, enabling JPL to track and compare the subtle changes that occur during baking or when reducing key ingredients, such as sugar or salt.

The new HQ also features a digital innovation suite that combines augmented reality and virtual reality to enable customers to observe how different environments affect taste perception. The building boasts 16 team labs where customers can work alongside JPL staff to create sweet, savoury, and beverage flavours.

Artificial intelligence is also playing a role in the factory, with the business stressing that rather than replacing human roles it is identifying time-consuming or repetitive tasks and applying AI solutions that allow people to focus on what they do best.

AI-driven manufacturing data is being used to support informed decisions in procurement, enhance efficiencies, and maintain quality standards.

JPL has also introduced a robotic cleaning system programmed to operate seamlessly around both staff and equipment. And, because JPL doesn’t have the on-site footfall to justify a full-time human receptionist, the business has an AI-powered avatar to act as a virtual receptionist.

“We’re on a mission to raise the bar for digital innovation in the flavour industry,” said Lavelle. “We’ve built the new headquarters with efficiency, sustainability and innovation in mind – we can’t wait to show our customers. The new premises will provide a great home for the team and be a place where our ideas can come to life.”