From left: Phil Roscoe, Santanderl; Phil Rowark, Mike Rowark, Ann Rowark, Michael Rowark, Blends, Paul Humphray, Merseyside Special Investment Fund

Specialist food ingredients business Blends has doubled the size of its manufacturing facility after securing a £4.6m bank funding package.

The family-owned manufacturer was founded at a bakery in Liverpool in 1998 before relocating to its present home at Knowsley Business Park in 2012.

Blends increased its manufacturing capacity in response to “strong” demand from an expanding client base. It is also adding another 17 staff to its workforce of 38 with support of the funding from Santander Corporate & Commercial and Merseyside Special Investment Fund (MSIF).

The MSIF provided a £200,000 grant through the Regional Growth Fund’s High Growth Business Investment Programme.

Blends sells the majority of its products, including commodity food ingredients such as glycerine and glucose, and flavours and colourings, to trade customers in the food service industry. The majority of the business is buying liquid food ingredients in bulk and repacking into smaller sizes.

MD Mike Rowark said: “Blends has benefitted from a focused business model dedicated to supplying our clients with the products and services they need. We continue to have strong ambitions for future growth.”

Phillip Roscoe, relationship director for Santander, added: “The management team at Blends continue to deliver strong year-on-year growth and we’re delighted to be able to support them further.”

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