Berkshire to be home of UK’ s largest natural flavour manufacturing site
Newbury-based flavour manufacturing company I. T. S. are building one of the largest natural flavour manufacturing sites in the UK. This marks a significant expansion for I. T. S. flavour production capabilities and long-term investment in British manufacturing.
I. T. S.( short for International Taste Solutions) have acquired an 8.2-acre industrial estate near Hungerford, west of Newbury, with excellent access to the M4 corridor. Over the next 12 – 18 months, they will invest £ 10m + to develop a state-of-theart natural flavour manufacturing facility designed to support their growing customer base across the food and beverage industry.
This new site will significantly strengthen I. T. S. position as a leading independent flavour house in the UK.
The Hungerford site will include a full redevelopment of the existing factory, along with upgraded and extended office space.
Once complete, it will give I. T. S.:
• 20 times more production capacity for liquid and powdered flavours
• Scalable manufacturing for natural extracts and flavour compounds
• Increased flexibility to respond quickly to customer demand
I. T. S. Team celebrate
This expansion supports their continued growth, which is currently running at around 35 % year on year.
The existing I. T. S production and product development sites in Newbury will continue to operate as normal and are unaffected by the new build. Both sites are currently being extended and remain central to their flavour innovation and development work.
Continuing to run their existing sites ensures our current flavour development and manufacturing will not be impacted by the build process, and we’ ll continue to help supply I. T. S. growing customer partnerships.
As part of this expansion, I. T. S. will be growing their team, creating new roles across Hungerford, Newbury, Marlborough and Swindon.
This investment reflects I. T. S. commitment to supporting local employment and strengthening the UK flavour manufacturing sector.
I. T. S. was founded in 2009 around a kitchen table with a simple philosophy: be brave with flavour, move fast, and have fun.
Today, I. T. S. is a team of 40 people, supplying natural flavours to food and beverage manufacturers across the UK and beyond. While we’ re scaling our manufacturing capabilities, our values haven’ t changed. Staying independent, being creative, and delivering exceptional service remain at the heart of everything they do.
I. T. S. owner and founder, Mike Bagshaw sums it up best by saying“ This investment is a major step forward for I. T. S. My mantra has always been to be brave, scale big, have fun and stay independent. Our goal is to become the world’ s most-loved flavour house, delivering exceptional flavours and service to our customers. These are exciting times”.
This new natural flavour manufacturing site represents more than just growth, it’ s about building the infrastructure to support innovation, creativity and long-term partnerships with their customers.
Dyslexic primary teacher lands sci-fi trilogy deal 14 years after Clearing place at Bucks
A Bucks New University graduate diagnosed with severe dyslexia as a teenager has turned a story he spent 14 years writing in secret into a published sci-fi trilogy.
Dan Batchelor, 35, studied Sports Science and Coaching at Bucks after entering university through Clearing in 2008.
The idea first came to him just months after graduating in 2012. He kept writing, little and often, but didn’ t tell anyone what he was working on for years.
Now a Key Stage 2 teacher, his first Jack Palmer book was published in June 2025, with the second instalment due out in October and the final book set to follow in February.
Dan said:“ I didn’ t find out I was dyslexic until I was 17, when a college media teacher noticed me stumbling over a script. I managed to get through school without knowing. My twin brother studied English Literature at university, so he was better at grammar, but I’ ve always had a naturally creative brain.
Dan Batchelor
“ When I started writing, I kept it a complete secret from my friends for years. Coming from a sports background, I felt like a bit of an imposter. Now everyone knows and the kids at my school get so excited about it – even if they’ re a bit too young to read dystopian sci-fi!”
After sitting on a draft for several years, a recommendation led Dan to secure professional editing and a publisher for the series.
What started as an idea on his daily commute is now a three-book series, with the first already on the shelves and two more on the way.
With A-Level results published this week, Dan believes his path shows how clearing can lead to unexpected but promising career outcomes.
He added:“ Going through Clearing and ending up at Bucks was the best thing that could have happened to me. University gave me the confidence to step outside my comfort zone and try completely different things.
“ I’ ve made friends for life that I still see all the time now. My advice to anyone receiving results this week is not to panic if things don’ t go to plan and don’ t be afraid to put your ideas out there.”
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