The US bakery manufacturer, C.H. Guenther (CHG), has invested further into its UK estate, opening a new 172-square-metre centre of excellence (CoE) in Coventry.
The facility has been designed to support CHG’s customers which include quick service restaurants, foodservice operators and retailers, as they develop, test and refine new bakery products.
Through this investment, CHG is hoping to accelerate the development of premium bakery products across the UK and wider Europe.
According to Tastewise’s 2026 UK panel, the last year has seen ‘premium consumer need’ rise by 44.9%, while comfort – which often sits within premiumisation – is up 73.3%.
Alongside upticking demand for premium bakery, CHG says it is also seeing increased interest in free-from space, smaller portion sizes, and protein-rich products; with customers keen to expand their offerings as new trends emerge.
Equipped with a commercial-scale bakery, customer demonstration kitchen, sensory evaluation facilities, an innovation suite, and dedicated collaboration spaces, the centre will allow for new concepts focused on these emerging trends to be developed and tested before progressing to full-scale manufacture.
“CHG’s new centre of excellence provides our customers partnership in innovation and developmental testing, ensuring ideas can move seamlessly from concept to commercial production, helping bring exciting new menu ideas to market more quickly, consistently and at scale,” commented Paul Tripp, European vice president and MD for CHG.
“This investment is part of CHG’s long-term strategy to strengthen our growing relationships with leading food service brands through innovation, operational excellence and continued investment in our UK and EU manufacturing. We’re delighted by the initial feedback from customers who agree the centre is industry-leading and a unique one-stop shop for collaborative innovation between CHG and our customers.”
The opening on the CoE follows a multimillion-pound investment from CHG and its partners in its UK manufacturing capabilities. This includes the opening of the £38 million Coventry bakery in 2023 which now produces around 72,000 buns per hour.
San Antonio-headquartered, CHG has 32 manufacturing locations in the US, Canada, and Western Europe.
