Food factory celebrates 60th anniversary with MP visit

A Lynn food and nutrition factory is celebrating its 60th anniversary and has taken a trip down memory lane by sharing the brands of food it has produced since opening.

MARS first opened in 1963 under the name of Dornay Foods and started off by producing vacuum-dried potato sticks ‘chipples.’

Today, the factory manufactures Ben’s microwaveable rice and Dolmio products for the UK and 14 export markets.

And North West Norfolk’s MP James Wild paid a visit to the factory just in time for MARS’ special anniversary.

Mr Wild said: “It was a pleasure to visit the Mars Food and Nutrition factory and celebrate their 60th anniversary of high-quality food production and commitment as a major employer creating skilled opportunities in Lynn.

“Given the significant investment in production and factory facilities, it was encouraging to learn more about the strong focus on innovation and sustainability”.

The current 150 Mars Associates working in the factory have been part of the celebrations, with events held on-site and an unveiling of a plaque and painting by Mars’ very own Lynn Associate Ben East to commemorate the anniversary.

Pavel Gopienko, plant director, said: “It has been fantastic to celebrate this historic milestone with our Mars Food and Nutrition Associates, who work hard every day to produce high-quality products and make Lynn a great place to work.

“I want to thank every single one of them for their work, energy and commitment, which brings our portfolio of products to people across the country and has made brands like Ben’s Original and Dolmio key household names.”

Shortly after opening in 1963, the factory expanded to the manufacture of Instant Mash Potato under the Yeoman brand.

Their portfolio continued to grow with a range of Yeoman canned meats in 1975 and then opened their very own state-of-the-art meat plant in 1978.

The mid-1980s saw new technologies added to the site with the introduction of Ben’s Frozen Rice and Savoury Rice. A frozen ready meal plant was commissioned in 1986 manufacturing ‘Tyne Brand Main Meals’, and in 1986 a pasta plant was added manufacturing pasta under the well-known Dolmio brand.

Following this, stir-in pasta sauces were introduced in 1996 with a technology that Dolmio & Ben’s Original brands continue to use today.

Between 1999 and 2003, the factory underwent a period of change with the removal of the mashed potato and frozen ready-meal lines and the introduction of pouch technology which now underpins Mars Food and Nutrition’s success.

Over the past 10 years, Mars Food & Nutrition has invested over £50m into the site, on new production lines, factory facilities and office space.

The factory includes a ‘living roof’ that provides water absorption, increased insulation, climate cooling and habitat for local wildlife, and blinds that automatically open & close at sunrise and sunset to protect nocturnal wildlife from light pollution.

The Lynn factory sends zero waste to landfill, in line with wider Mars Inc. purpose commitments, and one hundred per cent of the electricity it uses comes from renewable sources.