Exotic produce specialist Utopia UK has completed a £2m prepared-fruit facility in Gosberton, Lincolnshire.
The new 40,000 sq ft site, which will cut and pack pineapples and mangoes, will be opened officially next week. The company had previously only supplied whole fresh produce.
"This is a fundamental switch from where we have been in the past," said MD Matthew Van Lier. " There has been a 30%-40% year-on-year increase in sales of prepared fruit as time-pressed shoppers spend more on convenience."
The company would consider expanding beyond its two core lines, he added.
Utopia supplies Tesco, M&S, Asda and Waitrose, as well as a range of food manufacturing and foodservice customers. The company supplies £45m of the £190m UK exotic fruit market, sourcing mangoes from 12 countries and pineapples from three.
It has also set up a Utopia Academy with Lincoln University to offer staff a NVQ in food preparation.
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