Exotics specialist Utopia is adding a new string to its bow by opening a £2 million prepared fruit facility in Gosberton, Lincolnshire.
The 36,000sqft Utopia Prepared site, half of which will be used when phase one of the project kicks off in 10 days’ time, will provide an additional outlet for the firm’s suppliers around the world, as well as an integrated supply option for customers in the £190m prepared fruit market, said Utopia UK managing director Matthew van Lier.
He added that plans for the venture sprung from two fast-emerging trends. “We recognised the changing consumer patterns in the UK, and the need to satisfy the demand for consistent-quality prepared fruit,” van Lier said. “And we were also receiving demands from our supply base for ways to utilise more of their crop.”
Simon Ball, commercial director of Utopia Prepared, added: “Utopia has a very tight grower base, which gives us a distinct advantage over existing suppliers of prepared fruit to UK customers. We have better control of and focus on our fruit, and will be able to influence procurement of the future directly. We already import fruit that has been specifically grown for the prepared sector and, ultimately, we want to reach the stage where we are growing more fruit to the sizes, yield expectations and flavours that the prepared market requires.
“We will take the expertise within Utopia’s produce business and apply that to a food business mentality.”
A huge amount of planning work has gone into the project, including exhaustive negotiations with villagers in Gosberton, who needed convincing that another food factory on their doorstep was acceptable after issues with previous incumbents Geest and Gosberton Farms.
Staff for the new facility have already begun a two-week extensive training course, run by the University of Lincoln at its Holbeach campus.
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