The poultry giant had already added 500 jobs after buying the facility from Asian ready meals specialist S&A Foods in December 2015.
S&A Foods fell into administration in October 2015 and made all its 300 staff at Derby redundant after Asda cancelled its contract for chilled ready meals. The majority of the redundant staff were taken on by 2 Sisters.
Manufacturing at the factory re-commenced in April 2016. As part of a “multi-million pound” investment in production line technology, 2 Sisters has launched barbecue, ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat ranges from the site.
Latest production line technology
Investment in the very latest production line technology will ensure that Derby is at the forefront of quality benefits and cost control, claimed 2 Sisters chief executive Ranjit Singh.
“Our protein footprint programme continues to progress at pace and the expanded capabilities at Derby will enable us to deliver more volume and extended product offerings in added-value protein in 2017,” he added.
Geoff Allison, site director at 2 Sisters Derby, said the extra jobs would become available across all levels of the business as the site grew to fulfil its production capability and moved from single to double shift patterns.
“From my experience, young people often don’t see the food industry as their first choice for a career, but we can offer a wide range of exciting job opportunities.
“Equally, we are looking for more experienced people to upskill our team and drive the business forward,” he added.
‘Best-in-class’
Allison said the Derby site had used “best-in-class” equipment for the new ready-to-eat launch and brought together the latest advances in technology through the creation of a custom-designed production line.
He said: “We’ve installed advanced multi-stage cookers to replicate kitchen quality in a factory environment and improved the fabrication of the factory following a full strip out and internal rebuild.
“Every single pack matters to us, and customers can be assured that we are passionate and knowledgeable about food.”
Investment in the factory was partly funded by the Derby Enterprise Growth Fund (DEGF) – a government-funded scheme managed by Derby City Council. It distributes grants and loans to businesses to help them create jobs.
DEGF is now entering a new phase of funding, with £12M of recycled loans available.
Applications are invited from businesses with plans for growth and job creation in Derby and Derbyshire. Visit Derby City Council to find out more.
Meanwhile, for the latest career opportunities in food and drink manufacturing, visit our dedicated jobs site.