A fire that destroyed part of United Central Bakeries’ (UCB) West Lothian factory last week is believed to have started in a naan oven.
Police forensic teams are still investigating the blaze, which broke out at the Whitehill Industrial Estate during the night-shift. Eye-witnesses said that a clump of bread caught alight in the oven and this then ignited a spiral cording system.
No-one was hurt and Dave Brooks, chairman of factory owner, Finsbury Food Group, said there was no reason to think it was anything other than an accident.
The factory produces naans, bread, potato scones and gluten-free products for supermarkets. Brooks said he hoped everything would be outsourced by this week. Some of the group’s subsidiaries are helping while four local suppliers are lending equipment.
"The gluten-free producing part of the factory wasn’t damaged and just needs cleaning up. We hope to have it up and running in the next couple of weeks," said Brooks.
"About 40% of the factory will have to be demolished and rebuilt, and it will be months before we will be fully operational. Staff have been supportive and some of them have been deployed to other factories. No-one is out of work.".
Finsbury Food Group owns Memory Lane Cakes, baker Nicolas & Harris, as well as California Cake and Campbells in Scotland.
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