A FOOD supplier in East Lancashire is set to create 100 new jobs by expanding due to ‘non-stop’ demand.

Wellocks wants to expand its unit on the Lomeshaye Industrial Estate in Nelson, by a third to start manufacturing its own pasta for retail and artisan breads in a bakery.

A planning application for the expansion was approved in December last year.

Now, Pendle Council is expected to agree, at a meeting on Thursday, to lease a patch of land to the company for the expansion to go-ahead.

In documents with the application, current boss James Wellock said: “Our future plans lead us to extending the building by a third to enable us to build our business further by the manufacturing of pasta for retail and introduction of a bakery of artisan breads.

“We will also be increasing our preparation room as demand is growing non-stop and we have more than doubled the employees in there in two years.

“With this expansion we will also be adding staff and therefore the extra car park will be essential to us.

“The aim is to bring more business to the area, increasing our work force and customer base simultaneously.”

He said that the recruitment would be the equivalent to 30 full-time staff.

Charlotte Cordingley, from Pendle Council’s property management arm Liberata, said: “The acquisition of the land and the proposed development will allow the company to expand in a manner that is cost effective and will keep the business local.

“It is anticipated the project will increase the staffing level to 300, an additional 100 staff.”

Wellocks is a third generation family firm which has been based in Pendle since 1946 and, according to its website, supplies every Michelin-starred restaurant in the north west.