Spooner Industries (Ilkley, West Yorkshire) has completed its investment in a pilot tunnel oven at its head office. The high performance tunnel oven will enable customers to carry out tests and trials.

The oven incorporates three independent, direct gas-fired heating sections and is suitable for baking a variety of products at temperatures up to 350ºC, says the company.

The potential applications include bread, biscuits, cereal, cakes, confectionery, pizzas and pies.

Damper control of the airflow to the top and bottom chambers allows different bake profiles and surface effects to be produced.

“Our customers are under pressure to develop new processes and products quickly. This equipment will enable them to bake and test products in a way that can be replicated exactly on production machinery,” says sales and marketing director Steve Newell.