The new site, named ‘The Windmill’, features automated production lines that allow its customers a greater level of customisation when creating their meals.
Developed in partnership with SmartParc SEGRO Derby – a low-carbon food manufacturing campus in Spondon, Derby – the site is Hello Fresh’s largest European distribution facility and reportedly one of the most sustainable in the country.
The Windmill features a rainwater harvesting system, a 22 MVA rooftop solar panel array and a shared heating and cooling system which recycles heat from refrigeration plants and reuses it to heat water and offices across the estate.
Two-year investment
HelloFresh UK chief executive Adam Park said: “We have invested for over two years to build our latest automated production technology in Derby, particularly due to its incredibly diverse and skilled talent pool.
“This site and its cutting-edge technology will allow handling of great complexity in our production to give customers even more choice, while creating hundreds of jobs and opportunities for talented people in the local area to build skills and careers in a growing space.”
The Windmill will also boost HelloFresh’s support for local charities like Community Action Derby – the producer donates ingredients for more than 100 meals each week to assist those experiencing food insecurity in the local area.
‘Great connectivity’
“Derby’s great connectivity also means we can provide an even better delivery experience for our UK customers with 80% of customers now being within a four-hour drive of where the product is made,” Park added.
“All-in-all, we are delighted to be in Derby and look forward to contributing to this great community as we partner on an exciting journey of growth and innovation we have planned for HelloFresh and Green Chef in the UK.”
Meanwhile, Morrisons has opened a new on-site innovation centre for its Greenside fresh food manufacturing operation in Bradford.
