Greenyard Fresh UK ripening rooms

L-r: Andrew Nesbitt, Nigel Jenney and Alan Forrester

Greenyard Fresh UK has opened six new ripening chambers as part of a multi-million pound investment programme.

The new facilities, at Stephenson Avenue in Spalding, create an additional 160 pallet space capacity and increase the company's overall ripening capacity to 452 spaces.

The new chambers will improve the uniformity of ripening of both whole and part pallet volumes, according to Greenyard. Within the new facility there are four smaller rooms, each of 20 pallet spaces, which as well as being part of the overall ripening capacity, will be available for research and experimental trials.

The investment represents the first phase of a £2m, two-year investment programme, and the chambers were officially opened at a ceremony featuring managing director Alan Forrester, together with FPC chief executive Nigel Jenney and Andrew Nesbitt, managing director of Cross Refrigeration.

Greenyard said the new chambers would 'enable the continual delivery of the highest-quality stonefruit, tropical fruit, avocado and pears to all its customers, now and into the future.'