Avara Foods is proud to be one of the sponsors of the Hereford Times Food & Farming Awards 2021 - as one of the biggest employers in the county, with roots dating back to the 1960s, we warmly welcome all efforts which highlight the important part agriculture plays during these challenging times. Herefordshire farmers work tirelessly to produce quality British foods and are integral to keeping the nation fed, and we wouldn’t be one of the UK’s leading food companies without them.

Herefordshire farmers work tirelessly to produce quality British foods and are integral to keeping the nation fed, and we wouldn’t be one of the UK’s leading food companies without them.

We value the hard work of our farming partners, operating to Avara’s agricultural standards to ensure high standards of animal health and welfare. We understand the importance of our entire supply chain and are always looking for ways to improve and hone our ways of working. We’re proud of our ‘farm to plate’ ethos – with oversight over every aspect of our livestock rearing giving us complete confidence in our food products.

As well as the many farmers we work in partnership with across the county, our processing plant in the city is a key part of Avara’s wider operations – our largest processing site employing over 2,000 people, we’ve invested millions of pounds in state-of-the-art technology, staff facilities and colleague development. The most recent example of this is the installation of a new automated packing line and investment in new processing technology costing around £1.9m.

This is just one part of a wider investment programme implemented to increase efficiency and productivity, and secures our Hereford factory as one of the most advanced food manufacturing sites in Europe.

The ongoing coronavirus situation has proved more than ever the importance of British food production – as one of the UK’s largest food manufacturers supplying some of the nation’s favourite supermarkets and restaurant chains, we’ve been key to keeping supermarket shelves stocked during the pandemic. We’ve operated throughout by adapting our workplaces to aid social distancing and invested heavily in PPE and protective measures to ensure the safety of our colleagues.

What sets us apart is not what we do, but how we do it. We want everyone that works at Avara to have a meaningful role and the opportunity to feel they are a part of our success. That’s why we’re committed to development and making sure that, whoever you are and whatever you do, at Avara there’s always an opportunity to get better and, hopefully, progress. Whether you’re an engineer looking to help us keep our manufacturing technology in peak condition, want to utilise your agricultural skills on one of our farms or want to join the team making our great tasting healthy foods we’d love to hear from you.

As well as full training and competitive rates of pay, the company provides a wide variety of training and development opportunities, including apprenticeships that run from Level 2 to degree level, opening up new ways to earn and learn.