Avara Foods unveils £100m investment in UK poultry

Avara Foods is investing more than £100 million in its UK poultry operations over the next three years, with automation and processing upgrades planned across key sites.

The poultry processor expects to spend more than £40 million on technology and facilities during the current year as part of the wider programme.

Investment will include new cutting technology and automation across the company’s chicken supply chain.

Avara said the programme would introduce “next-generation cutting capability and new automation to create a more efficient and resilient food supply chain”.

The business said the upgrades are intended to improve productivity and strengthen its production network, while supporting its retail and foodservice operations.

Avara has not disclosed how the full £100 million will be divided between individual sites or which facilities will receive specific upgrades.

The investment follows three years of restructuring across the business, which the company said had resulted in improved financial performance.

Chief executive Chris Hall said: “This is a major investment in the future of our business and in the resilience of the UK poultry supply chain that reflects confidence in our people, our facilities and the long-term future of UK poultry production.”

Avara said the programme would also support manufacturing jobs and provide additional capacity to respond to demand from customers.

Hall added: “Our customers and consumers need a supply chain that is competitive, reliable and able to grow.”

He said the restructuring undertaken over the past three years had helped create the financial platform for the new investment.

“Over the last three years we have completed a comprehensive restructuring of our business delivering improved financial performance,” he said.

Avara said the investment would support demand for affordable, locally sourced poultry while improving efficiency across its operations.

Hall said: “This ambitious UK investment programme ensures Avara builds on its existing position as a strong and sustainable partner to our customers supplying the affordable locally sourced poultry, produced to high standards, that British consumers demand.”

The company has also reduced stocking density across its broiler farms, although no further detail was provided in the announcement on the scale of the change.

The three-year programme will now focus on upgrading processing capacity, automation and facilities across Avara’s chicken supply chain as the business seeks to improve efficiency and support future growth.