Sara Lee Frozen Bakery opens innovation center, kitchen
According to the Daily Herald, Sara Lee Frozen Bakery has opened a 10,000-sq-ft research and development innovation center and test kitchen in its headquarters in Oakbrook Terrace, IL.
According to the Daily Herald, Sara Lee Frozen Bakery has opened a 10,000-sq-ft research and development innovation center and test kitchen in its headquarters in Oakbrook Terrace, IL. The Kitchens of Sara Lee facility will focus on the innovation and expansion of new flavors and product lines. The innovation center features a fully equipped test kitchen, lab, storage, and presentation space and is custom designed for customer showcase and co-collaboration.
“This new collaborative space brings our culinary experts together with our sales and marketing team to accelerate our product innovation, anticipate new trends and create many more irresistible foods for our customers for years to come,” said Craig Bahner, Sara Lee Frozen Bakery CEO.
Newly appointed Research & Development Director Judy Lindsey will lead the team of product innovators and culinary experts, which has doubled in size since Sara Lee Frozen Bakery became an independent company in July 2018.
Sara Lee Frozen Bakery, which makes frozen bakery and dessert products under the Sara Lee, Van’s, Chef Pierre, and Bistro Collection brands, brought the brand’s headquarters back to Oakbrook Terrace after it was sold by Tyson Foods in 2018. Tyson picked up the brand in a 2014 acquisition of Hillshire Brands, which was created after the Downers Grove, IL-based Sara Lee Corp. split into two companies in 2012.