Jamie Marskell (left) and Tim Espley

Primafruit has unveiled a new multi-million pound extension to its Evesham fruit import facility.

The new 16,000m2space specifically enables the company, part of Fresca Group, to handle bananas in Evesham for the first time. It features triple-decker ripening rooms, and sufficient capacity to accommodate over 750 pallets of produce at a time.

The site now has a dedicated banana packing area as well as expanded intake, outloading and cold storage. In addition, Primafruit will move all citrus packing into a larger, purpose-built space, with extensive reconfiguring of packing areas over the coming days.

Primafruit, which has a long-term supply contract with Waitrose & Partners, began the extension in 2016, with its completion arriving as the company celebrates 20 years of operations at the Evesham site.

The company now employs over 350 people and handles sales worth more than £130million each year.

Primafruit’s managing director, Jamie Marskell, said: “Once again, our team of contractors and staff have worked tirelessly to deliver a complex and detailed build.

“Their work has meant that Primafruit can continue to grow long into the future. I’m extremely grateful to all our partners for their support.”