Mars puts £161 million into its Melton Mowbray pet food factory

Mars is putting £161 million into its pet food factory in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, the UK home of WHISKAS. Mars announced the investment on November 10, 2026, and said the money pays for new high-speed pouch lines that run fully recyclable mono-PP packaging, optical sorting to cut production waste by more than half, and utility upgrades across the site. For anyone who stocks WHISKAS, SHEBA or PEDIGREE in the UK, it is a clear sign that Mars plans to keep making a large share of those lines in Britain rather than importing them.

What the money is being spent on

The investment goes on new production technology at a site Mars says has been feeding the country’s pets for 75 years. The release names three parts to it.

• New high-speed pouch lines, built so the factory can switch to fully recyclable mono-PP (single polypropylene) pouches.
• Smart optical sorting, which Mars says will cut production waste by over 50%.
• Utility upgrades aimed at reducing waste across the plant.

Mars didn’t give a timetable for the new lines going live or say which products move to the new pouch first. It also didn’t say whether pack sizes, case quantities or pricing will change, so if you buy these lines for a shop or a wholesale business, ask your Mars account manager or your usual wholesaler before you plan shelf space around it.

Jobs and apprenticeships at the site

The upgrade should create more than 30 skilled technical and engineering roles in its first year, according to Mars. The factory’s apprentice program grows from 26 to 33 permanent places by 2027. Across the wider UK business Mars says it has more than 140 apprentices, and that 97% are offered a permanent role when they finish.

Nick Foster, General Manager for Mars Pet Nutrition in Northern Europe, said in the release that the UK is “a cornerstone of our global pet care business” and that the money is “a direct statement of our confidence in the UK market”. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds was also quoted welcoming the jobs and apprenticeships for the East Midlands.

How it fits Mars’ wider UK spending

Mars says the Melton Mowbray money follows £190 million announced earlier this year for its chocolate factory in Slough and a £1.2 million upgrade to its pet nutrition research and development hub in Birstall, and that its total capital investment in the UK has now reached £661 million since 2021. The company says it runs eight manufacturing sites in the UK, alongside the Waltham Petcare Science Institute in Leicestershire and the Linnaeus network of more than 180 veterinary clinics and referral hospitals in the UK and Ireland. Mars also says the UK is its second-largest market worldwide and that it employs more than 10,000 people here.

What it means if you buy or sell pet food

For UK retailers and wholesalers, the practical points are fairly simple. Mars is committing to its UK cat food production for the long term, and the move to recyclable mono-PP pouches will reach the shelf at some point, which matters if your customers ask about packaging or if you report on recyclable packaging yourself. The announcement says nothing about trade terms, so watch for pack and case changes from Mars or your wholesaler rather than planning around them now.

If you are looking for a smaller or private label partner rather than a major brand, our pet food manufacturers directory lists makers that sell to the trade, including UK contract and own-brand producers such as GA Pet Food Partners and INSPIRED Pet Nutrition. The industry body for UK manufacturers is UK Pet Food, and our UK suppliers hub covers wholesalers and distributors who carry the major brands.

Source: Mars United Kingdom press release, November 10, 2026. This article is based on desk research of the company’s announcement.