Avara Foods is investing more than £100m in its UK poultry operations over the next three years, introducing advanced cutting systems and automation across its supply chain. The programme is intended to raise productivity, strengthen resilience and create additional capacity for future growth.
More than £40m of the total investment is planned for 2026, supporting upgrades to production technology and facilities. Avara says the work will reinforce its manufacturing network and help the company respond to expanding demand from retail and food service customers.
Because Avara operates across farming, processing and distribution, the investment extends beyond a straightforward capacity increase. The business is upgrading equipment and processes to improve the performance, flexibility and efficiency of its existing supply chain.
Automation to improve production performance
Next-generation cutting equipment and new automated systems will be introduced at key locations within Avara’s chicken supply chain.
According to the company, the upgrades will support a more dependable and efficient food supply network. They are expected to improve processing consistency, increase productivity and enable the business to react more effectively as customer requirements change.
Avara chief executive Chris Hall said the investment would strengthen the company’s role as a supplier of locally sourced poultry while improving the foundations of its wider production operation.
“This ambitious UK investment programme ensures Avara builds on its existing position as a strong and sustainable partner to our customers supplying the affordable locally sourced poultry, produced to high standards, that British consumers demand.”
The programme follows a significant period of organisational change. Avara reports that it has completed a comprehensive restructuring over the last three years, helping to improve its financial results. The latest announcement marks a transition from restructuring to reinvestment in the assets and infrastructure required for the next stage of development.
Strengthening the UK poultry supply chain
The importance of the plan lies in its network-wide focus. Rather than concentrating on a single site or machine, Avara is applying investment across the broader production system.
The company manages an integrated operation that connects farms, processing facilities and customers. Its agricultural network includes more than 350 farms, supported by major processing locations throughout England and Wales.
This structure increases the potential impact of food processing technology investment. Improvements to cutting systems, automation and site performance can enhance throughput and consistency throughout the network. Greater efficiency should also help Avara manage fluctuations in demand more effectively.
The company’s stated aim is to establish a competitive and reliable supply chain with the capacity to expand. This approach reflects wider food manufacturing trends, in which producers are investing in automation to improve operational resilience as well as output.
“This is a major investment in the future of our business and in the resilience of the UK poultry supply chain,” said Hall. “It reflects confidence in our people, our facilities and the long-term future of UK poultry production.”
Moving from restructuring to reinvestment
Avara’s announcement also offers insight into the company’s future manufacturing strategy. Automation is being treated as part of a broader plan covering productivity, resilience and customer development, rather than as a standalone technology initiative.
That strategy reflects several wider food and beverage industry trends. Manufacturers are under increasing pressure to achieve more from existing assets while protecting product quality, controlling costs and maintaining reliable supply. It also demonstrates how food and drink industry innovation is increasingly linked to operational improvement.
Avara has already applied this model at its Telford facility, where the company says it recently invested £2.3m in technology and equipment. The site processes as many as 1.5 million birds each week.
The new programme will extend this investment approach across a substantially larger portion of the business. Alongside production improvements, the company’s focus on locally sourced poultry connects with evolving food and drink consumer trends, including demand for affordable products with dependable domestic supply.
For Avara, the goal is to create a production platform that can serve expanding retail and food service requirements while continuing to deliver affordable, locally sourced poultry. More broadly, the plan illustrates how automation and modern processing systems can support not only higher output, but also stronger supply-chain resilience across the food and beverage sector.
