LEWIS & Cooper, the independent food and wine retailer in North Yorkshire, is investing £500,000 to expand its food production facilities.

The investment is likely to add five jobs initially to the 100 employed by the firm.

The 106-year-old firm in Northallerton High Street has bought a new warehouse on the Moxon Court Industrial estate in the town so that it can go nationwide on its distribution of packed fruit and nuts.

The £2.5 million turnover firm has packed imported dried fruit and nuts for sale in its own shop from another warehouse in Anchorage Lane, Northallerton, where it also produces Traditional Handmade Plum Puddings, which it markets nationally through sales agents and two wholesale distributors.

By moving the fruit and nut sorters into their own dedicated warehouse there will be room at Anchorage Lane to start production of a new product - a hand-made luxury fruitcake.

The new fruitcakes will be available to buy from Lewis & Cooper's Northallerton and Yarm stores from Thursday, June 1.

Updated: 12:00 Friday, May 19, 2006