The trayless slice

After the success of our trayless pork pies in 2023/24, we looked to see what other iconic products could move to trayless production to support our sustainable packaging goals. It didn’t take long to identify our slices: a family favourite that our Poole Bakery produced nearly 17 million of in 2024/25.

One of the key challenges in making the move to trayless slices was the shape of the product. Traditionally the slices had been oval, and this shape meant that the slice would shift in the packaging machine. So, the first step was making our slices rectangular.

Next, we identified the need to make modifications to our wrapping equipment. Trays usually keep product wrapping consistent, so without them we needed to find another way to keep the wrapping process uniform. We did this by widening the pushing plates on the line to maximise contact with the slices as they’re transferred down the conveyor.

It took eight months to trial and confirm the best process, with collaboration across Engineering, Commercial, Operations and Packaging teams and our suppliers. Slices customers that previously had trays made from recycled PET have now gone trayless, which will save 10 tonnes of plastic every year. We’re now exploring the application of this solution to other products and using the knowledge gathered from this initiative to remove card trays too.

“Changing the shape of our iconic slice was a big undertaking and involved a lot of trials and experimentation. I’m delighted that by bringing teams across the business together, we’ve succeeded in creating the same delicious, high-quality slice, with much less packaging impact.”

Razvan Dache, Packaging Technologist