Raising the (cereal) bar! Healthy snack brand Boka opens its own £2m factory in Winchester

Healthy cereal bar brand Boka Food has invested more than £2 million into building its own manufacturing facility in Winchester, Hampshire.

Launched in 2016 by chef and food technologist Franco Beer, the business unexpectedly lost its main co-packer in 2022.

It’s since struggled to find an operator that could produce its cold-pressed bars – “so we decided we’d do it ourselves!” said Franco.

“Converting a warehouse into a fully functioning, SALSA-approved factory in the space of seven months has been a real labour of love, but we’re so proud of what we’ve achieved.

“Boka has already started work on obtaining BRC (British Retail Consortium) accreditation by July 2025.”

The new 12,000 sq ft Winchester factory can initially produce 21 million bars a year in one shift, with the ability to add another line if required.

Boka has also taken on 17 new staff to run the facility.

“We now control the whole manufacturing process,” Franco added, “which allows us to produce exceptional quality bars – as well as ramping up our innovation pipeline.

“It also gives us capacity to co-pack for other food brands.

“This is an area I’m keen to explore as I know how difficult it is finding a manufacturer with the skills to be able to make consistently good quality bars at the right price.”

Franco decided to launch Boka after having trouble finding healthy snacks for his children’s lunchboxes.

He spent six years developing a cereal bar which was low in sugar, fat and salt, was under 100 calories a bar, and most importantly, still tasted delicious.

Boka bars are available in four flavours – apple and cinnamon, strawberry, choco mallow and caramel.

They’re stocked by foodservice operators like Bidfood, Brakes and DDC Foods, meaning they’re available in schools, universities, leisure clubs, hospitals and corporate dining venues.

• bokafood.co.uk