Nelson company helping foreign bakeries bake the great British crumpet

Nelson-based Sugden Ltd, a world-leader in the design and manufacture of hotplate systems, has expanded its product range as it looks to build on strong momentum which has seen the company double in size over the last five years.
Sugden's huge production facility in NelsonSugden's huge production facility in Nelson
Sugden's huge production facility in Nelson

Sugden has launched a mini hotplate system to help small and medium-sized bakeries manufacture a range of products on a single piece of equipment with a small footprint.

It’s the latest innovation to come out of the company which saw turnover growing to £5.5m over 2019/20 due to surging demand, in the UK and internationally, for its made in Britain hotplate systems which can produce up to 14,400 crumpets, 26,000 English muffins and 19,000 pancakes per hour.

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The new mini hotplate system incorporates all of the technologies used in the company's larger systems and is capable of producing up to 1,200 quality, batter-based (such as pancakes, crumpets and pikelets), products per hour. It can also be used for sheeted products such as potato scones and welsh cakes.

The company designed and developed the mini hotplate after spotting a gap in the market for a smaller system to support the needs of craft, small to medium-sized bakeries, both at home and within emerging markets.

Chris Baldwin, managing director of Sugden Ltd said: “Historically we have always designed and manufactured large-scale production lines, but through market research we recognised that the production needs of craft and smaller bakeries were completely unsupported.

"During our extensive travels meeting customers old and new it was highlighted that the ability to produce high-quality products for smaller bakeries was not being met. We have also received requests for what would be perceived as typically being UK products, such as crumpets and pikelets, from countries such as Russia, Bangladesh and India.

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“Our mini hotplate has been designed to fit into the tightest of spaces and is semi-automatic, requiring a minimal number of operators with small bakeries in mind. Its launch means we’re now perfectly positioned to cater for the needs of food producers of all sizes, providing them with solutions that not only increase their production but also improve product quality while keeping their costs down.”

Earlier this month, the company acquired the intellectual property of Vanderpol Waffle Systems, meaning it can now manufacture, supply and install a wide-range of industry-leading waffle and funcake systems, further strengthening its product range and market position and creating new jobs.

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