Avara Foods has installed a new automated packing line at its poultry processing factory in Hereford. It is the latest investment by the company in the factory, which in the past two years has ploughed over £6.5m into new technology and site improvements.
The new packaging line handles diced products. Avara has also invested in new deboning equipment as part of its ongoing improvement at the plant. Costing £1.9m these recent installations have increased production capacity and efficiency at the factory, the company said.
At its plants around the UK, Avara has invested over £6m in protective measures during the coronavirus pandemic; these include screens and curtains installed along production lines to create physical barriers, floor markers laid in canteens and other shared spaces, and staggered shift start and finish times to reduce the number of staff coming into contact with one another. Canteens and break areas have spaced out seating and Perspex dividers and additional cleaning regimes have been enacted in high traffic areas and more hand sanitising stations installed across all sites.
With summer just around the corner and temperatures already warming up, production of barbecue products is also now underway at Avara’s Hereford factory; consisting of skewers and marinated meats, these foods are popular summer staples and always a hit with shoppers. This increase in seasonal production means the company is seeking around 100 more staff to meet demand, on either permanent or temporary contracts.
Marcus Billig, Site Manager at Avara Foods, Hereford, said, “The new line and equipment complements our existing operations and allows us to produce even more here in the heart of Hereford. We’re continuously investing in and improving how we work, and I’m delighted our factory boasts these upgrades.”