Work begins on £5.2m new Research & Development facility for Mars Chocolate
Local dignitaries visit site to hear Mars' ambitious plans
11 March 2010
Mars Chocolate has set aside a total of £5.2 million to build a state-of the-art research facility at the site in Slough.
The Mayor and Mayoress of Slough, Councillor Joginder Singh Bal and Mrs Surinder Kaur Bal, together with the High Sheriff of Berkshire, Dr Christina Hill Williams, and her husband Clive Williams OBE, visited the Dundee Road site to hear about the project.
The modern, purpose-built centre will house all chocolate research and development activities and will feature new offices, kitchens for preparing and creating products, laboratories and a pilot line to enable products to be test manufactured on a larger scale.
The two-year project will conform to internationally-recognised BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) construction standards and will be built in accordance with Mars’ own sustainability goals.
A zero-waste-to-landfill commitment will be made on all building materials and all hoardings will be made of recycled plastic, which can themselves be recycled at the end of the project. Mars will also be participating in the ‘Considerate Constructors Scheme’, aiming to minimize the noise and environmental impact on its neighbours.
Fiona Dawson, Managing Director of Mars Chocolate UK said: “I am delighted to be announcing this investment. We’re all very excited to be having a world class, state of the art Research and Development facility built here in Slough.