As we jump into 2025, we sat down with Oliver Jenkins, business development manager at Clegg Food Projects, to look back on the achievements of 2024, highlights from key projects, and what’s next for the year ahead.
Let’s kick things off with the big question – what has 2024 been like for Clegg Food Projects?
It’s been a brilliant year. We’re currently working on 12 live projects, and the diversity of 2024’s projects really shows the breadth of our expertise. From Molson Coors, Beaver Town Brewery, and Coca-Cola to customers in Advanced Manufacturing and the Defence sector – we’ve had the opportunity to work on some exciting and significant developments.
Some of the key 2024 projects include major expansions, such as the Samworth Brothers facility at Ashton Green, a new drinks production line for Coca-Cola in Wakefield, and a distillery for Alcohols Ltd. We also completed three projects for Greggs in Balliol, Birmingham, and Amesbury and started on converting the Old Bass Museum to a new HQ for Molson Coors, in Burton on Trent.
Additionally, we were thrilled to be ranked in the East Midlands Top 25 Fastest Growing Companies by Grant Thornton, which is a huge testament to the hard work and dedication of our team. It’s a real honour to see our growth recognised alongside some of the best in the industry.
What’s the largest project you’ve been involved with in 2024?
That would be Greggs Balliol, which was completed in October 2024. We were appointed as the principal contactor for the project, marking the 20th large scale CAPEX scheme completed for Greggs.
The initial phase of this development was an Automated High Bay Cold Store completed in 2019.
Located between two existing manufacturing units at Greggs’ Balliol Business Park in Newcastle Upon Tyne, the automated high bay frozen cold store is 32m high and is used for the bulk storage of frozen products ready for distribution to Greggs stores across the UK.
Once phase one project was completed, Greggs were able to commission the new cold store which then freed up the existing cold store on the site to be converted into a manufacturing facility to generate extra capacity to service Greggs’ expanding food retail operations. A major redevelopment for production, NPD, office space and ‘mock’ stores. It was an exciting project to be part of, especially as it marks a big step in Greggs’ expansion plans, following some significant investments into their business.
Charity plays a big role in the company culture. How much did you raise for good causes this year?
We’ve had a record year for charity fundraising – donating more than £10,000 for a range of amazing causes.
We’ve built on our long-standing relationship with The Greggs Foundation by continuing our sponsorship of its Breakfast Club initiative. Supporting the Breakfast Club is incredibly meaningful as you can see the impact it has on local children. In February 2024, I visited the Breakfast Club at Highbank Primary and Nursery School in Clifton, Nottingham to see it in action as well as help serve the breakfast. It was a great experience.
We also completed the Samworth Brothers Challenge – marking our ninth challenge going back to 2007 – raising £4,965 charity.
On 18th May, eight of us travelled to Ambleside in Cumbria to take part in the 10-hour triathlon-style endurance event, which is hosted by the Samworth Brothers every two years and tests the challenger’s cunning, strength, and agility. Overall, team ‘Clegg-It’ came 6th and ‘Clegg-Up’ 16th out of 42, which is an amazing achievement for both teams.
In 2024, we were also proud to partner with Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust as part of our commitment to the environment and sustainability.
Clegg Group became a business partner of the leading wildlife conservation charity, which is working to protect and enhance the wildlife and habitats of Nottinghamshire. The sponsorship for the partnership draws on our charity fund – which is used to support worthy local causes that align to promote environmental and sustainability causes, protect wildlife, and promote health and well-being.
Similarly, in November 2024, we announced a £1,000 donation – in collaboration with Clegg Construction – to the 1st Sutton Coldfield Sea Scouts. The funds will be used to buy more paddle boards and equipment, supporting the Sea Scout Group’s goal to allow young people to gain new skills and have exciting experiences. It’s great to support causes that are close to our hearts, and this donation is made possible thanks to Clegg’s Employee-Owned Trust.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is something we take a lot of pride in as giving back to the community is just as important to us as the work we do in the industry.
You’ve been out and about at several industry events in 2024. What was the highlight for you?
Attending events like PPMA, the International Dairy Show, Sustainable Food Factory event, and the Food and Drink Manufacturing Awards gave us opportunities to connect with industry leaders and stay ahead of trends. The connections we’ve made, and the insights gained have been invaluable.
Attending the inaugural Sustainable Food Factory Conference was particularly interesting as, for the first time, it brought together the UK food and drink manufacturing sector to discuss sustainability.
Looking ahead, what’s in store for Clegg Food Projects?
We’re really looking forward to continuing several of our current projects into the new year, especially in advanced manufacturing. There’s a lot of confidence in the UK manufacturing sector, and we’re hoping to see that reflected in new projects and investment. We’re also planning to expand into even more sectors outside food and drink, leveraging our expertise to add value to manufacturing across the board.
Finally, we’re participating in four major tradeshows in 2025: Foodex in April, Sustainable Food Manufacturing in June, PPMA in September, and IMHX in September. We’re looking forward to these events and the chance to continue building strong connections in the industry.
How do you see the industry shaping up for 2025?
We see a positive outlook for UK manufacturing, and we’re excited about the opportunities we have in the pipeline.
Here’s to an even bigger and better 2025!
For more information or to find out how we can help you, please get in touch with our team.