AI-Powered Robots Set to Revolutionise Cake Production in Queensland
Priestley’s Gourmet Delights, a female-founded leading national sweet and savoury food supplier and manufacturer, has today announced the official opening of its new state-of-the-art facility based in Brisbane’s Acacia Ridge.
In a first for the sector, the new Priestley’s Gourmet Delights facility is a data-led SMART factory which can instantly harness real-time data to boost productivity, improve processes and drive growth. Mobile autonomous robots streamline the baking process - stacking product onto baking racks as well as safely moving the racks around the facility - doubling production capacity and ensuring safety of employees by reducing the need for repetitive manual tasks.
Priestley’s employees remain an integral part of the company with staff involved in everything from hand decorating the products and selecting ingredients to tasting and quality control. Employees whose jobs are now automated are being upskilled towards higher-value roles which will enable them to develop their expertise and drive innovation of future products and processes.
The new $53 million, 7740 square metre facility will also support Priestley's expansion into the retail sector, creating approximately 56 new FTE roles across the company by 2026.
With a well-established legacy spanning 28 years, the company’s new facility is a centre of excellence for dessert and savoury production. With a 55% increase on the footprint of the company’s previous premises, and equipped with best in class automation and machine learning technologies, it sets a new benchmark for sweet and savoury food production.
Xanny Christophersen MD and CEO, Priestley’s Gourmet Delights, said: “It’s fantastic to be at the helm of such an innovative company. As the niece of the founder, I’ve watched the business grow over the years and our new facility is testament not only to her drive but the hard work of all of our employees.
“The technology we’re harnessing will allow us to boost productivity while also enabling us to grow our people - supporting them to upskill and creating a substantial number of new jobs for Queenslanders, as well as adding to the state’s economy. This increased productivity means that we’re able to retail an exciting new range of products directly to consumers for the first time - meaning they can indulge in a sweet treat whenever they feel like it.”
Priestley’s Gourmet Delights will launch a new range of five indulgent desserts into independent retail chains Drakes Supermarkets and Ritchies IGA, with the view to expand to additional outlets across Australia. The range will include individually packaged cakes and tarts, perfect for indulgent ‘me time’ moments.
Priestley’s Gourmet Delights (PGD) is a family owned and operated business based in Brisbane with manufacturing facilities in both Australia and New Zealand. The company was formed in 1995 and has grown from a 75sqm bakery with just 8 staff creating cakes, supplying to cafes across Brisbane and surrounding areas, to having 148 staff in a 4600sqm purpose-built facility, supplying frozen cakes and desserts via foodservice distributors across all of Australia and New Zealand
