• Local school children participated in a competition for the 100th anniversary of canning at the Princes Wisbech site, contributing over 200 creative label designs. 

• Three winning designs will be featured on the labels of a special run of Princes’ products, to be gifted to the community at the Wisbech Rose Fair on June 28th. 

• The event will showcase all 231 designs, celebrating both the young artists, who enjoyed a special factory tour, and the factory’s longstanding relationship with the community. 

To commemorate a century of food production, the Princes’ factory in Wisbech has involved schoolchildren from 13 local schools in a creative label-making competition. 

The winning designs will soon adorn Princes’ products to mark 100 years of Princes developing the nation’s favourite canned products at their Lynn Road factory. These unique cans will be given to the children who created them and gifted to the community at the Wisbech Rose Fair on June 28th. 

The competition yielded over 200 submissions. The winners across three age categories were: 

• Age 4-7: Lara Stefanova of the Nene and Ramnoth School  

• Age 8-11: Evelyn Neal of Peckover School  

• Age 12: Luka Jacinaite of The Wisbech Academy  

Their efforts were rewarded with an exclusive behind-the-scenes factory tour. The young artists also witnessed their designs come to life on the production line, followed by a celebratory lunch and a prize presentation. 

“The tour really opened my eyes to the work that goes into making a can of food and the whole day has blown me away”, said: Cllr Janet Tanfield, Mayor of Wisbech who was accompanied by Consort, Cllr Peter Human.  

“Involving the next generation of Wisbech has been a wonderful way to celebrate this milestone moment!”, said Henry Butters, Head of Operations at Princes Wisbech. “The creativity and enthusiasm shown by these young people has captured the spirit of the community and our relationship with the people of Wisbech.” 

The journey of the Wisbech factory began in 1925, when Samuel Smedley pioneered canned fruit production in the UK. Since then, the factory, affectionately known as the Smedley’s, has supported generations of local families with employment and growth. 

Today, Princes is proud to maintain its deep-rooted ties with the community, producing over one billion cans of branded and own-brand food annually across Wisbech and its sister factory in Long Sutton. 

As part of the centenary celebrations, Princes invites the community to visit their stall at the upcoming Wisbech Rose Fair on Saturday, June 28th. All 231 label designs will be on display, offering visitors a chance to celebrate both local creativity and the factory’s enduring presence in Wisbech. The event promises to strengthen community bonds and provide insight into the rich history of Princes’ operations in the area. 

ENDS