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Pilgrim’s Europe has announced the opening of a new Pork Centre of Excellence at its Bromborough facility in the UK. Supported by a £350,000 investment, the site is designed to accelerate product development and strengthen the company’s innovation pipeline across its pork division.

The facility serves as a dedicated hub for creating high-quality pork products, integrating modern development infrastructure with specialist culinary equipment. This investment aligns with the company’s broader strategy to establish specialised centres of excellence across its European business units.

Advanced Culinary Infrastructure

The Bromborough site features a modern development kitchen equipped to handle efficient product prototyping. To support specific market trends, the facility includes specialised hardware such as an indoor charcoal barbecue for the development of authentic grilled ranges.

Additionally, the centre houses a dry ageing unit. This addition is intended to support upcoming innovation within the premium pork category, allowing the technical teams to explore traditional processing methods for modern retail and foodservice applications.

Collaborative Development and Market Alignment

A central component of the new facility is a dedicated customer panelling space. This area allows Pilgrim’s Europe to host retail and foodservice partners for tastings, innovation workshops, and collaborative sessions.

By involving customers earlier in the development cycle, the company aims to move ideas from concept to final product more efficiently. This collaborative approach is intended to ensure that new launches accurately meet shifting consumer expectations and market demands.

Focus on High-Growth Segments

While the centre supports the entire pork portfolio, there is a clear emphasis on "added-value" products. The development teams will prioritise growth segments, specifically focusing on the BBQ and ready-to-cook categories.

Sam Reader, Director of Product and Innovation at Pilgrim’s Europe, noted that the environment is designed to help ideas transition quickly into reality. The facility provides the necessary space for teams to experiment with new formats and flavours while showcasing the versatility of pork to industry partners.

Strategic Context

Ivan Siqueira, President of Pilgrim’s Europe, characterised the Bromborough investment as a vital step in the company’s innovation capabilities. The project is part of a wider initiative to modernise production and development across the Pilgrim’s Europe network.

With a workforce of over 17,000 people across more than 40 sites in the UK, Ireland, France, and the Netherlands, Pilgrim’s Europe remains a major player in the poultry, pork, lamb, and beef supply chains. The new centre reinforces its position as a primary supplier of both own-label and branded products to the European market.