30. September 2025

A Cut Above in Curing

New Century Foods, UK bacon and gammon specialist, becomes the first in its sector to adopt Borncut portioning technology on fresh pork.

Borncut BC300 portioning machine installed for fresh pork

In a landmark first for the UK meat industry, New Century Foods has introduced a Borncut portioning machine into its production line, portioning fresh pork with exceptional speed and precision.

The Scunthorpe-based company, known for its high-quality gammons and pork joints, is now running over 400 tonnes of product per week through its Borncut BC300 portioning machine with Dynamic Pre-Scales, supplied and supported by Borncut’s UK agent, Danfood Technology.

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“I didn’t think it could be done”

Factory Director Colin Steele admits he was sceptical at first. “To be honest, I didn’t think it would work. I’ve worked with meat all my life and I just couldn’t see how you’d portion fresh pork consistently without freezing or tempering it first.”

Like many in the industry, New Century had traditionally relied on skilled butchery teams to break down legs and loins by hand, trimming to weight. With rising labour challenges and limited pre-cooling capacity, the team began looking for a solution that could streamline the process without disrupting their existing infrastructure.

“We were looking at other machines, but everything needed the product to be frozen or deeply chilled,” Steele explains. “We just don’t have the space or the time for that. Then Leon from Danfood showed us what Borncut was doing.”

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Trial, proof, adoption


Danfood’s Sales Director Leon Pickersgill helped coordinate a live demo using New Century’s own product spec. “We arranged to run pork loins and bellies through a BC300 overseas and filmed the whole trial. Within the first few loins it was hitting the specs exactly. Colin and his team could see the results straight away, a full run showing exactly what the machine could do.”

 

That trial gave New Century Foods the confidence to proceed with the purchase, making them the first company in the UK’s pork sector to adopt this level of portioning automation on fresh, unfrozen product.

From 20 trimmers to 4 operators

The impact was immediate. What once took a team of 20 manual trimmers now takes four machine operators, two preparing and loading the meat and two unloading and inspecting final portions.

“The BC300 has completely changed how we work,” says Steele. “We still use butchers for skilled tasks and some of our former trimmers have retrained in other parts of the business. For standard joints, we now get consistent cuts, tighter weight control and far less giveaway.”

The machine portions loins and legs into fixed-weight joints, reducing trimming waste and improving consistency across New Century’s customer base, which includes Iceland, ASDA, Aldi and Morrisons.

 

“We’re cutting around 20,000 joints a day just for Iceland,” Steele adds. “The portioner helps us stay ahead of production without running two full shifts of manual trimmers.”

 

Fresh meat cut to measure

The Borncut BC300 is engineered to handle complex shapes and textures of fresh meat with efficiency and ease. The addition of a Dynamic Pre-Scale allows for accurate weighing before cutting, while Borncut’s intelligent software ensures each portion hits target specs with minimal deviation, even on products with rind or uneven profiles.

 

“The machine identifies where the joints should fall, calculates the optimal cut points and adjusts on the fly,” says Pickersgill. “It’s designed to deliver precision at speed and without needing the product to be chilled or frozen solid.”

 

Built for scalability

The new portioning line is already delivering impressive results, running well below its full capacity while comfortably supporting day-to-day production. Its efficiency has allowed New Century to stay ahead of demand and create valuable breathing room during busy periods. “We’ve had days where we don’t even need to run it because we’re that far ahead,” says Steele. “It’s opened the door for future growth and makes it easier for us to plan ahead with certainty.”

Service that supports success

Steele cites service and technical support as another major factor in their decision to go with Borncut and Danfood. “The backup has been fantastic,” says Steele. “We know the Danfood team and have worked with them for a long time. If there’s an issue, I pick up the phone and get assistance fast. That’s not always the case with bigger suppliers.”

Danfood has expanded its UK service team to support Borncut’s growing installed base. For New Century, a dedicated technician is based less than an hour away. “We’ve had almost zero downtime. The machine’s reliable, the wear parts are predictable and the running costs are far lower than we expected,” Steele explains.

A step ahead

With nearly 200 employees and a state-of-the-art 26,000 sq ft factory, New Century Foods has spent the last decade modernising its operations without compromising its cured meat heritage. The Borncut installation marks the latest step in that evolution.

“It does exactly what it says on the tin,” says Steele. “We were early adopters, but it’s paid off. On paper, the machine pays for itself within a year. In practice, it’s already reshaped our business.”

See Borncut's portioning technology for fresh meat Contact Danfood Technology to arrange a trial in the UK