Bakery ingredients supplier AB Mauri has officially opened its new Centre of Excellence.

The centre features a bread development area, a confectionery unit and a presentation suite, along with a dispensary and an analytical laboratory.

The facility, in Corby, Northamptonshire, was opened by George Weston, chief executive of Associated British Foods (ABF), the parent company of AB Mauri.

The company spent £500,000 developing the site, which is based in the Pearson Centre, a training and vocational facility, and has taken on three members of staff with plans to employ three more.

Andrew Pollard, managing director of AB Mauri UK & Ireland, said: “Our customers tell us we are industry leaders in technical support - something we are very pleased about and very grateful for.

“But equally our customers tell us very loud and clear that what you need from as an ingredients supplier is to be innovative and, hopefully, having this facility in our global network, we will be able to deliver that for them.”

The company has also outlined its commitment to recruiting new talent from the baking industry and has recently employed Hannah Conneely, a graduate of the National Bakery School and a former finalist in the Rising Star category of the Baking Industry Awards.

In its recent full year results ABF said that, globally, AB Mauri had seen revenue fall 1% to £12.2bn, but on a constant currency the figure was actually tracking at +3%. However, adjusted profit soared in the period by 85%, up from £41m to £86m.