Mars is investing £161 million to modernize its Melton Mowbray pet food factory in England through 2031, installing AI-powered quality detection systems and recyclable packaging while creating over 30 skilled jobs and expanding apprenticeships as part of its commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
- Mars will invest £161 million in its Melton Mowbray pet food factory through 2031 to install new pouch production lines and AI-powered quality detection cameras
- The investment will create more than 30 skilled technical and engineering jobs in the first year and expand apprenticeships to 33 positions
- Melton Mowbray is Mars' first pet care site and birthplace of Whiskas and Pedigree, celebrating 75 years of manufacturing in 2024
- The upgrades support Mars' goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050
- The factory supplies 95% of its output to UK households and Whiskas feeds over 6.6 million cats, representing more than half of the UK's cat population
Mars Inc. will invest £161 million (US$216 million) to modernize its pet food factory in Melton Mowbray, England, the company announced.
The program, which runs through 2031, will make Melton Mowbray the company’s primary pouched pet food factory in the U.K. It will install pouch production lines that can use recyclable mono-polypropylene (mono-PP) packaging, along with AI-powered cameras designed to detect quality defects earlier and reduce waste. Mars said the upgrades support its goals of cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050.
Birthplace of Whiskas
Melton Mowbray is Mars’ first pet care site and the birthplace of the Whiskas and Pedigree brands. The factory, which marked 75 years of manufacturing this year, is one of the region’s largest employers. It supplies 95% of its output to U.K. households and exports the remaining 5% to European markets. According to Mars, Whiskas feeds 6.6 million cats in the U.K., more than half of the country’s cat population. The U.K. is the world’s third-largest pet food market.
Established in 1951, the Melton Mowbray facility celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2026.Mars Inc.
"By integrating cutting-edge technology and expanding our apprenticeship program, we are building on our proud heritage, equipping the next generation with future-ready engineering skills and writing an exciting new chapter for the iconic brands like Whiskas made right here," she added.
Employment opportunities
In its first year, the investment will create more than 30 skilled technical and engineering jobs and expand the site’s permanent apprenticeship cohort to 33 positions, with a focus on technical and operational areas including mechanical and electrical engineering. Mars said it plans further hiring in the coming years.
More than 50 apprentices have completed programs at the Melton Mowbray site over the last five years. Mars employs more than 140 apprentices across its U.K. business, in a program that includes training in artificial intelligence, digital systems and data analytics. The company offers permanent jobs to 97% of apprentices who complete their programs.
“The history of the Melton factory is one of the things that makes working here feel special — our grandma worked here and now we do too, so it’s very special to have that connection to Melton and Mars in our family,” said James Pearson, an apprentice at the Melton Mowbray factory. “Generations of local people have helped make brands such as Whiskas and Pedigree here, and as apprentices we are proud to be learning from that experience while developing the technical skills needed to move with the factory’s future. This investment means more young people from the area will have the chance to become part of that story.”
The Melton Mowbray project brings Mars’ total investment in its U.K. operations and manufacturing network to £661 million (US$886 million) since 2021, across its snacking, food and pet care businesses. Mars operates eight U.K. factories, including sites in Slough, Plymouth, Melton Mowbray, Birstall, Milton Keynes, Castle Cary and King’s Lynn. Its U.K. pet care business also includes the Waltham Petcare Science Institute in Leicestershire, which researches animal health and nutrition, and Linnaeus, a network of more than 180 veterinary clinics and referral hospitals in the U.K. and Ireland.
