3 min read - 23 Sep, 2025
Premier Foods invests £19m in Ambrosia production
Premier Foods has unveiled a £19m investment in its Lifton site in Devon, the home of Ambrosia custard for more than a century.
Fuelled by an increase in demand for its porridge pots, the three-year investment, delivered in two phases, will increase production capacity, improve efficiency and support local jobs.
The first £9m stage has modernised Ambrosia rice pudding and custard production through a new custard filling line and high-speed packing lines using cutting-edge technology to streamline production, increase efficiency and switch to fully recyclable packaging. A second £10m phase, including a small factory extension, which will house a new custard-making plant, is now underway and due to be completed next summer.
The increased efficiency delivered by the investments frees up significant capacity elsewhere on site to support growing consumer demand for Ambrosia porridge pots. The new high-speed process will also reduce energy use by 50% compared to traditional cooking methods.
Premier Foods has invested £19m in its Ambrosia production site in Lifton / Picture: Premier Foods
The Lifton site has been part of the local community since 1917, and currently employs more than 320 people. It produces 65 million kilograms of custard and rice pudding each year, using over 50 million litres of milk from West Country farms.
Rachel Matheson, factory general manager at Premier Foods Lifton, said: “This investment shows how committed we are to Lifton and to keeping our manufacturing here in the UK. Ambrosia is one of Britain’s most loved food brands, and we’re proud to keep making it right here in Devon. The porridge pots have been a huge hit, and it’s great to see how success like this enables us to reinvest in the site, back into our teams and in increased capacity.”
Lifton is home to over a dozen apprentices across roles spanning engineering, technical and new product development teams, alongside more than 70 employees with over 25 years of service – including local families with up to four generations working as part of the team.
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The three-year investment will increase capacity, improve efficiency and support 320 local jobs / Picture: Premier Foods
Colleagues from the site also support local causes working on inclusion, skills development and local environmental quality. Recent examples include a partnership with the Westcountry Rivers Trust on monitoring and improving the health of the River Lyd, which runs past the site, and with local schools on careers advice for students.
Ben Palmer, one of the site’s production managers, said: “My father worked here most of his working life and growing up, I remember him talking proudly about being part of the making of such a well-loved brand. Now I’m helping to lead the next generation of investment and development at the same site; it’s a full-circle moment and shows just how much our factory and our famous brands mean to the people who work here and the wider community.”
The cash injection frees up significant capacity to support growing consumer demand for Ambrosia porridge pots / Picture: Premier Foods
As part of its growth strategy, Premier Foods invests in its supply chain to boost efficiency and productivity and facilitate innovation across its sites. The benefits of site investments such as this provide the business with the funds to reinvest in its brands to fuel further growth for the future. The launch of Ambrosia porridge pots in 2022 marked the Group’s entry into the breakfast category, in line with its growth strategy to expand into new product categories.
