Doritos factory to see £13m of investment

The factory has been operating in Coventry since 1994

Pepsico plans to invest £13m upgrading facilities at its Doritos manufacturing site in Coventry.

The snack has been made at the factory since 1994 and the plant's bagging machines can deal with 3,600 bags an hour.

The money will be spent on replacing a manufacturing line and upgrading staff facilities.

"This investment marks our commitment to the teams who have played such a key role in Doritos’ success over the years and to our home in Coventry as we celebrate our 30th birthday," Layla Whiting, manufacturing director of PepsiCo, said.

Layla Whiting, manufacturing director of PepsiCo, said the firm wanted to grow and develop its site in Coventry

The food and drink giant said sales increased more than 20% over the last two years.

The Coventry site is Europe’s largest tortilla chip factory, the firm said, and employs about 700 staff who also produce Wotsits, French Fries and Squares.

"Lots of the expertise and the knowledge and all of that is all here with the people that we have in Coventry so that's one of the reasons that it's important that we continue to grow and develop the people that we have here," Ms Whiting said.

Work to install the new line will start in August with additional upgrades in the production process which will improve efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of its manufacturing operations, Pepsico said.

This latest funding announcement takes overall investment in the company's UK sites to more than £140m, it said, which "reaffirms PepsiCo’s commitment to the Midlands region" where it also employs more than 2,100 people in Leicester, Coventry and Lincoln.