Manchester headquartered cereal brand Kellogg’s has announced the launch of a new food innovation centre at its Trafford Park factory.
The Culinary and Sensory Centre, which has been officially opened by Greater Manchester Mayor and GMLEP Board Member Andy Burnham, has taken over 18 months to develop.
It features a packaging design lab, culinary kitchen, sensory hub and small-scale cereal factory.
Kellogg’s has invested over £500,000 into the innovation hub, which will be home to Kellogg’s team of food developers, culinary experts, chefs and packaging designers.
The cereal giant, which is currently celebrating 100 years since it first arrived in the UK, already has a history of innovation. It was one of the first organisations within the food industry to hire a registered dietician, as well as the first to print nutrition messages and product information on cereal boxes.
Manchester is already home to many of the business’ cereal creations including the fan favourite Crunchy Nut, which was first created at the Trafford Park factory in 1980.
The launch of the centre comes as part of the cereal giant’s decade-long plan to improve its foods.
One of the first projects to come out of the innovation hub was the recent reduction of salt in Special K, removing an average of 20% across the cereal range.
As well as reformulation, the space will also be used to trial new cereals, test future ingredients and experiment with recipes in hopes to improve and diversify Kellogg’s offering to create foods of the future.
The inclusion of the packaging design lab will allow the business to trial new sustainable packaging options.
Chris Silcock, Kellogg’s UK vice president, said: ‘”As Kellogg’s this year celebrates its 100th anniversary since launching in the UK, it’s incredibly exciting to be opening a hub of food innovation as we look to what’s to come for us in the next 100 years.
“The space will be the source of new products, innovative packaging solutions and reformulation – that will not only be rolled out across the UK but will be seen by consumers across Europe.”
Jason Billingham, Kellogg’s senior director of R&D, added: “This new centre in Manchester will allow us to innovate and create in ways we’ve never done before. It’s something we’ve been working towards for a long time, so it’s great to now see it come to life.”
