Boka Food opens £2m cereal bar factory | FoodBev Media

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Rafaela Sousa

30 October 2024

Boka Food opens £2m cereal bar factory

UK healthy snack bar company, Boka Food, has invested over £2 million in a 12,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Winchester, Hampshire.

Founded in 2016, the cereal bar business faced challenges in 2022 when it lost its main co-packer, leading to difficulties in sourcing a manufacturer capable of producing its cold-pressed bars. The new site can initially produce 21 million bars annually with the potential for expansion.

In addition, the facility is entirely nut-free, allowing Boka to promote its products as nut-free on packaging. The company has also expanded its workforce by 17 to support factory operations.

Franco Beer, founder of Boka Food, said: “We couldn’t find a manufacturer that could produce our Boka bars to a high enough standard, so we decided we’d do it ourselves. Converting a warehouse into a fully functioning, SALSA (Safe and Local Supplier Approval)-approved factory in the space of seven months, has been a real labour of love but we’re so proud of what we’ve achieved."

“We now control the whole manufacturing process which allows us to produce exceptional quality bars, as well as ramping up our innovation pipeline. It also gives us capacity to co-pack for other food brands.”

Beer added: “There was a lag in healthy snack food innovation but now the UK government has confirmed the implementation of a ban on advertising less healthy food from October 2025, we expect to see more focus on producing HFSS compliant food products."

“With our new factory and keen focus on health and taste, Boka is well-placed to maximise this opportunity.”

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