KP Snacks has moved the production of its popchips brand to the company’s factory in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire. Production will take place in a brand new, state-of-the-art, 1,800 sq m facility on the existing site, and has directly created 24 jobs.
Having previously been made by co-manufacturers in the UK and Belgium, this move brings all popchips into Leicestershire. The decision was taken to move popchips production to Ashby to build a platform for even more growth for the brand.
Since its UK launch in 2012 popchips has become the number 2 better-for-you snacks brand in the market. The move of popchips production to Ashby allows for more snacks to be produced each year.
The new facility was approved in July 2019 and has taken just over a year to build. It includes a 1,400 sq m process and packing area, as well as a 400 sq m palletising area.
Mark Duffy, manufacturing director of KP Snacks, said: “We’re very excited to be able to open our brand new popchips facility at Ashby. The local community is at the heart of what we do so to be able to recruit 24 new positions has been a source of great pride for us, particularly at a time when jobs up and down the country are being cut.
“This is an exciting time for popchips as, along with opening a brand new factory in our Ashby site, we will also be rolling out a whole new look for the brand: a brand new pack design that is ‘more popchips’, tastier and stands out more on shelf. On top of all that, in line with our commitment at KP Snacks to reduce our packaging impact on the environment, we will be reducing our popchips packaging by 23 tonnes a year, or 10%, which equates to 5.11 million packs. And all our packs can be recycled via our partnership with TerraCycle. Snack on!”
KP Snacks’ Ashby site makes other snacks, including Hula Hoops, Skips, Nik Naks and Space Raiders. It employs 530 people.
