Mars has announced a £190 million investment into its historic chocolate factory in Slough, expanding AI-driven manufacturing, robotics, sustainability systems, and workforce training across the site.
The investment began in 2023 and will continue through 2028, with Mars confirming that £32 million is planned for 2027 and 2028. The Slough factory produces some of the company’s best-known confectionery brands including MARS, Galaxy and Maltesers, while also supplying products to Ireland and the Netherlands.
Mars said the project will introduce upgraded production systems combining robotics, AI-driven factory management, advanced cooling systems, and more energy-efficient utilities. The company is also deploying digital twin technology at the site to improve manufacturing precision, production consistency, and waste reduction.
The Slough factory was established in 1932 and remains one of the company’s major UK manufacturing locations. Mars said the site currently employs more than 1,850 workers and continues to play a central role in its UK confectionery operations.
The investment also includes workforce upskilling programmes focused on advanced engineering, automation, data systems, and AI-enabled manufacturing roles. Mars said the project is designed to support long-term competitiveness and future manufacturing capability in the UK.
The announcement comes as major FMCG manufacturers continue accelerating automation investment across European food production networks. Rising labor costs, energy efficiency requirements, and supply-chain resilience pressures are increasingly pushing manufacturers toward AI-supported production systems and digitally connected factory operations.
Mars also confirmed that the Slough investment forms part of a wider global manufacturing strategy that includes planned investment across the European Union and the United States.
Why it matters
Large-scale factory investments like this are becoming increasingly important across the UK FMCG sector as food manufacturers modernize production capacity and strengthen long-term supermarket supply chains.
AI-supported manufacturing systems are also expanding rapidly across the wider confectionery and packaged food sector as producers focus on efficiency, consistency, and operational resilience.
The investment further strengthens Mars’ position inside the highly competitive UK confectionery market while reinforcing the role of advanced automation across modern food manufacturing.
