Finsbury Food Group is implementing a multi-million-pound investment plan into its dedicated foodservice site Kara in Manchester.
The factory, based in Whitefield, currently produces over 1.2 million bread rolls per day, supplying key national wholesalers and end-users across hospitality, healthcare, education and the quick serve grab-and-go industry. Products include floured baps, brioche style buns, and ready-to-roll pizza doughballs.
The investment is underway and will be rolled out over the next 12 months. Finsbury said phase one focuses on product consistency and delivering quality, with the factory’s capabilities being enhanced through the implementation of a robotic water splitter to deliver a greater variety of designs and finishes on rolls and loaves. This phase also focuses on making significant asset upgrades across the proofing and packing areas, it noted.
Phase two comes in 2026 and will optimise both quality and efficiencies through the end-to-end process, according to the manufacturer. In response to the rising demand for frozen dough balls from the quick serve sector, the investment includes a major upgrade to its pizza doughball production line, featuring a new divider and line setup, which is expected to increase capacity.
Originally acquired by Finsbury in 2014 as part of Fletchers Group of Bakeries, Kara is Finsbury’s only site dedicated exclusively to foodservice.
The manufacturer said the investment in Kara reinforces its commitment to growing the out-of-home and wholesale bakery markets and reflects its broader strategy to innovate, scale, and build capability and capacity to strengthen its market presence in the UK and Europe.
There are nine sites in the Finsbury portfolio (eight of which are in the UK), including Memory Lane Cakes in Cardiff, Nicholas & Harris in Salisbury which produces speciality bread, and Lees in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire which was acquired by the firm in early 2023. Finsbury also recently secured a majority stake in Lola’s Cupcakes, marking its entry into the direct-to-consumer market.
“This is a transformative time for Kara, we’re upgrading almost every part of our production process, from proofing and slicing, to packing and wrapping, to improve quality, drive efficiency and unlock innovation for our customers,” said Suzanne Cooper, site operations manager at Kara.
“From advanced robotics to new packaging lines, this investment is a major vote of confidence from Finsbury in the future of Kara and the wider foodservice market,” Cooper added.
Finsbury is also aiming to improve the sustainability of the site. Recent initiatives include the adoption of smart LED lighting, better internal temperature controls to significantly reduce heat loss, and the rollout of a site-wide energy management system.
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