Food manufacturer praised for innovation and “commitment to Wrexham” by local MP

A food manufacturer that produces more than three million meals a week has been praised for its innovation and commitment to Wrexham by the local MP.

Oscar Mayer, based on the Wrexham Industrial Estate, employs around 1,500 people in the area – making it one of the largest employers in the county borough.

The company is one of the largest manufacturers of chilled ready meals and prepared foods in the UK.

It supplies many of the leading supermarkets across the country, making more than three million meals across their factories per week, with the majority being produced in Wrexham and North Wales.

Sarah Atherton MP was recently invited to visit Oscar Mayer to learn more about the business, its innovative plans for the future and how the business is looking to increase both its community outreach and work with local organisations.

The company is also aiming to change how people perceive food manufacturing.

Despite using approximately 2,500 ingredients to make 300 different meals, the company says that no chemicals or preservatives are used to produce meals, nor is any food processed.

Ms Atherton sampled some of the dishes produced by Oscar Mayer and singled out the macaroni cheese for special praise.

Following the meeting, Ms Atherton connected Oscar Mayer with Caia Park Partnership and Wrexham Council in an effort to further facilitate the business’ community outreach, on behalf of the group, bringing together the public, private and third sectors.

Sarah Atherton MP said: “It was great to meet with the team at Oscar Mayer during a recent visit to discuss the scale and importance of the work that it does on the industrial estate.

“I am grateful for Oscar Mayer’s commitment to Wrexham – it is one of the largest employers, providing jobs and skills to local people, on what is one of the biggest industrial estates in Europe.

“Not only that, but it also facilitates a farm-to-fork approach, using fresh ingredients, to ensure that households across the country can enjoy delicious meals at affordable prices from local supermarkets.

“Beyond this, with its ambition to grow and innovate, the group has very exciting plans for Wrexham, which we hope to be able to share further information about in due course.”

Ian Toal, Oscar Mayer Chief Executive, added: “It was fantastic to welcome Sarah to our Wrexham site to learn more about our business and our work in the local community.

“We make more than three million ready meals every week, the majority right here in Wrexham.

“We’ve got exciting plans to really drive innovation in our sector and we’re continuing to invest in our people and our business to achieve long-term sustainable growth.

“Having the opportunity to engage with policy makers like Sarah helps to develop shared understanding between industry and those in Parliament and we look forward to continuing to work together.”