According to a recent BBC report, food manufacturer Bakkavor Salads has announced plans to expand and recruit 300 extra staff at its site in Bo’ness.

Bakkavor is set to produce a range of fresh prepared food, including chicken salads and tomato pasta salads, as part of the new deal with M&S. The announcement also follows news of a new partnership between M&S and Costa Coffee.

The food will be available in Costa Coffee stores which stock M&S products under a collaborative arrangement.

Bakkavor is expected to take on a mixture of full-time and part-time roles, which will bring the total workforce at Bo’ness to nearly 1,400.

The Bakkavor group’s UK customers include Tesco, M&S, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose. The group has more than 20,000 employees and operates 23 factories in the UK, five in the US and nine in China.

General manager Kirk Connor said: “We’re delighted to be working with M&S and Costa Coffee to brighten the return to work with a range of fresh, healthy and tasty meal options.”