Crisp Producer Pens Major Process Equipment Deal

Phil Black - PII Editor 24/08/2017

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One of Europe’s leading manufacturers of food processing equipment has signed a six-figure deal with a major potato crisp producer

Fabcon Food Systems, which is headquartered in Norwich, has supplied Essex-based Fairfield Farm Crisps with a variety of frying, weighing, seasoning and packaging systems for the producer’s facility in the Colne Valley, near Colchester.

The contract is the latest in a line of positive news for Fabcon which has seen a period of strong growth across Europe and the Middle East. They now employ 24-strong workforce at their Norwich headquarters, including a sales team who manage a customer base of new and existing clients.

Trevor Howard, managing director of Fabcon Food Systems said: “The team at Fairfield Farm Crisps have developed a tremendous brand in the past few years which has meant an expansion to their production facilities.

“We worked closely with the company to supply and install the best and most suitable machinery. Working with Fairfield allowed us to showcase the impact our processing equipment can have on quality, speed and packaging within the food sector. They now have a light maintenance facility which has helped make their production far more flexible, effective and efficient.”

“The contract win is another positive milestone for us as we reach the midway point through what has so far been a successful 2017.”

Fairfield Farm Crisps owner and managing director, Robert Strathern, added: “Our production and packaging facility has now had a 21st-century upgrade with vast improvements to our seasoning and packaging systems.

“We set the Fabcon team a tight timescale so the installation did not impact our production. Fabcon’s attention to detail and bespoke designs have been first-class and we are delighted with the result.”

“Importantly, we have a new-found flexibility in our production line as it allows us to season and package different flavours at the same time but uniquely, on the same line and on any machine. That interchangeability is vital as we bring new lines to market and satisfy demand as our product range expands.”

Formed in 2015, Fabcon Food Systems manufacture, supply and install innovative handling and processing equipment for the food industry. Designed and built at the company’s Norwich factory, Fabcon supply their systems and machinery to customers in the UK, mainland Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Technical overview

Fabcon Food Systems provided Fairfield Farm Crisps with the following processing and packaging equipment:

A 120kg/hr pellet fryer
An FFS-HM twin lane, horizontal motion gated conveyor system – feeding seasoning and packaging stations
Two ‘on head’ seasoning systems including feeders, stainless steel seasoning drums, electromagnetic vibratory conveyors and seasoners to feed the packaging stations
Weigher, bagmaker and rotary packing table
Supporting structures with extensions and modifications to accommodate new equipment
Integration of the existing system with the new system – with a new control system, on-site wiring and services