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Gosh! Food to invest £5m in new Milton Keynes factory
Gosh! Food is investing significantly in its infrastructure with the opening of a second factory site.
After investing £5m, the Milton Keynes plant-based food brand is set to open a 17,000 square foot factory early next year to run alongside its existing facility.
The move follows an incredibly successful financial year that saw pre-tax profits rise 15.5% to £4.1m and signals the plant-based business’ intention to further grow within the market.
The second site will not only allow Gosh! Food to meet the current demand for plant-based food, but also give the brand feasibility to expand its offering and to move into new categories, supporting its ambitious innovation strategy.
Gosh! Food is to open a second factory in Milton Keynes following a £5m investment / Picture: Getty/iStock
Similar to its current site, the second facility will be exclusively ‘free-from’ allergens and is expected to create up to 25 new manufacturing jobs in the local area. The two Gosh! factories will be among the few completely allergen-free manufacturing sites in the UK.
CEO of Gosh! Food, Jane Rayner, said: “We believe strongly that food should be as natural as possible and have a brand that prides itself on offering high-quality, great tasting and perfectly natural products. With 45 per cent of grocery shoppers either following or considering a plant-based diet, demand for plant-based products has grown significantly. We look forward to being able to continue to grow our capacity to meet demand and support retailers in improving the way we eat.
“We’re also excited about the opportunities that expanding to a second site presents in creating new jobs in an exceptionally difficult economic time.”
To support the brand’s growth potential, Gosh! Food has appointed Jahangir Khan as its first senior category manager. Khan is tasked with defining a category strategy for the business and supporting retailers in growing their meat free categories with a data-led approach.
Khan was formerly innovation and category controller at upmarket ready meals provider, Charlie Bigham’s, working on the brand and business strategy as well as previously holding the position of innovation marketing manager at Kerry Foods.
Rayner added: “We’re pleased to have welcomed Jahangir to the team to help us develop our category expertise. His experience within the FMCG world will help us get to the next level as a business as we look for ways to innovate and support retailers. While 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone, we’re pleased to be in the position that enables us to reinvest in the business and maintain growth.”