Mr Kipling Bakery Goes Solar: Premier Foods Unveils £2.1M Green Energy Project in Barnsley
Mr Kipling’s Green Energy Project
The home of Britain’s favourite cakes is going green. Premier Foods has unveiled a major Green Energy Project at its Mr Kipling bakery in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, powered by a new £2.1 million solar farm. This investment marks a milestone in the company’s sustainability journey and positions Premier Foods as one of the UK’s leading food manufacturers driving the transition to renewable energy.
Once fully operational, the 2.2MW solar installation will provide up to 75% of the factory’s total electricity demand, helping power everything from cake mixers to lighting; all using clean, renewable energy generated on-site.
In this article:
- Major investment: Premier Foods has launched a £2.1 million Green Energy Project at its Mr Kipling bakery in Barnsley, featuring a 2.2MW solar farm that will supply up to 75% of the site’s power and cut 468 tonnes of CO₂ annually.
- Nationwide rollout: The company is expanding similar Green Energy Projects across its UK sites, including Stoke-on-Trent and Ashford, as part of its goal to reduce emissions by 70% by 2030 and reach net-zero operations by 2040.
- Community impact: The Carlton Bakery, one of the UK’s largest food production sites, employs around 1,000 people and now serves as a model for sustainable manufacturing and local energy resilience.
A Renewable Milestone for UK Manufacturing
Covering 2.9 hectares (7.2 acres) of land at the Carlton Bakery, the new solar farm will play a key role in reducing the site’s carbon footprint. The Green Energy Project is expected to cut 468 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually, while also lowering long-term energy costs and improving resilience against price fluctuations.
According to Nick Brown, ESG Director at Premier Foods, generating renewable electricity on-site means the company can meet more of its own energy needs while supporting national decarbonisation goals. He added that the project even has the capacity to export surplus power back to the local electricity grid, strengthening community energy resilience.
Brown described the initiative as a major step toward a “greener, more resilient future” for the business, one that ensures iconic brands like Mr Kipling are produced sustainably for generations to come.
A Local Employer Embracing Sustainability
The Premier Foods Carlton Bakery in Barnsley—a long-standing landmark in the South Yorkshire food-manufacturing sector—employs several hundred people at its core operations, expanding to around 1,000 at peak production times. Since opening in the 1970s as one of the largest purpose-built bakeries in the world, it has become an important employer and economic anchor in the local community.
Aside from job numbers, Carlton Bakery has also invested in inclusive, community-facing employment initiatives. For example, the site worked with Barnsley Council on its ‘Pathways to Work’ scheme to recruit and support individuals with disabilities into permanent roles, demonstrating the bakery’s broader influence on local social mobility. Moreover, the company has been recognised for its staff wellbeing efforts: in 2024 the site was awarded a “Gold” standard for its workplace health and wellbeing initiatives, reflecting a commitment to local workforce welfare.
This solar-powered upgrade remains particularly relevant for the workforce and the community. By installing the 2.2 MW solar farm and aiming to supply about 75% of the site’s energy needs on-site, Premier Foods is investing not just in its infrastructure but in the long-term stability of jobs and the local economy. The project thus deepens the bakery’s role as a local employer by ensuring modernisation and future-proofing of operations, which in turn supports employee stability and regional economic resilience.
Expanding Green Energy Projects Across the UK
The Green Energy Project at the Premier Foods Carlton Bakery isn’t an isolated initiative—it forms part of a broader UK-wide strategy by the company to roll out solar power across its manufacturing network. At the factory in Stoke-on-Trent, Premier Foods already installed a rooftop solar array generating around 25% of the site’s baseline electricity needs.
Simultaneously, a separate £0.5 million solar system is underway at the company’s Ashford facility in Kent, set to come online soon. These projects underscore Premier Foods’ “Enriching Life Plan”, which aims to reduce Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse-gas emissions by 70% by 2030 and reach net-zero for its own operations by 2040.
By advancing multiple Green Energy Projects at different sites, roof-mounted arrays in Stoke, ground-mounted solar farms at Carlton, and ongoing developments in Ashford, Premier Foods is not only decarbonising its production footprint but also reinforcing manufacturing resilience. These investments help shield operations from volatile energy prices, enable potential export of surplus power to the local grid, and support long-term business and community sustainability.
From a broader perspective, these site-level initiatives align with a growing trend in UK industry where manufacturers embed renewables into their operations, highlighting that Green Energy Projects are becoming critical not just for power generation but for industrial strategy, job-security and regional economic resilience.
A Brighter, Greener Future
This Green Energy Project at the Mr Kipling bakery showcases how traditional industries can successfully integrate modern sustainability practices. By investing in renewable energy, Premier Foods is not only reducing its environmental impact but also proving that clean energy and industrial success can go hand in hand.
As more manufacturers look for ways to decarbonise, projects like this serve as a shining example of how large-scale solar energy can power both local communities and national climate ambitions.
For Premier Foods, the recipe for the future is clear: a blend of quality, innovation, and sustainability, all powered by green energy.
Final Thoughts
The expansion of Premier Foods’ Green Energy Projects marks a defining moment for both the company and the wider UK manufacturing industry. By investing in large-scale solar power at sites like the Carlton Bakery in Barnsley, Stoke-on-Trent, and Ashford, the business is setting a benchmark for sustainability in food production. These initiatives demonstrate that environmental responsibility and commercial success can coexist, delivering tangible benefits such as reduced carbon emissions, lower operating costs, and improved energy resilience.
Beyond the environmental gains, projects like this strengthen local economies and create new opportunities for communities. By generating its own clean energy and future-proofing its factories, Premier Foods is helping to secure jobs and safeguard long-term production stability. The company’s proactive approach shows how British manufacturers can adapt to climate challenges while maintaining efficiency and competitiveness.
As the UK moves further toward its net-zero goals, the Carlton Bakery project stands as a powerful example of how traditional industries can evolve through innovation. By turning to renewable energy and embracing sustainable practices, Premier Foods is not only baking Britain’s favourite treats but also shaping a cleaner, greener future for generations to come.
