Hovis Forest Gate Bakery

Founded over 130 years ago, Hovis is one of the UK’s most iconic bakery brands. At the Forest Gate site in East London, one of the country’s largest bakeries, producing over 3 million baked goods per week. Reliability, safety and energy efficiency are essential to support continuous 24/7 operations. In 2022, Hovis chose Zudek to replace its ageing synthetic‑refrigerant chillers with a modern, efficient and environmentally responsible solution based on natural refrigerants.

Located in a densely populated residential area, the bakery required a system with a significantly reduced refrigerant charge, high operational safety standards and long‑term performance stability. The new chiller also needed to guarantee uninterrupted operation throughout the year, with minimal maintenance and maximum energy efficiency.

A tailored solution for long‑term performance

Zudek proposed an Airmatik chiller specifically configured for bakery process cooling:

• Vahterus plate‑and‑shell evaporator in flooded configuration
• Two Bitzer compressors for optimal load management
• 650 kW cooling capacity
• Continuous remote monitoring via Telematik

The integration of Telematik ensures real‑time supervision of all operating parameters, allowing Zudek technicians to optimise performance remotely and guarantee maximum efficiency for this specific application.

Results: efficiency, reliability and rapid payback

The new Airmatik system delivered immediate benefits:

• Significant reduction in refrigerant charge, improving safety in a residential area
• High energy efficiency, with an ESEER of up to 6.5
• Stable operation at ambient temperatures up to +42 °C
• Investment payback in just 2 years, driven by major reductions in operating costs

A future‑ready refrigeration system

Hovis Forest Gate Bakery now benefits from a robust, efficient and environmentally responsible refrigeration system designed for continuous industrial operation. This project demonstrates how Zudek’s approach, based on natural refrigerants, advanced engineering and digital supervision, enables customers to combine sustainability, safety and economic performance.