Recipe Box company to open third UK DC

Recipe box company, HelloFresh, is opening a new distribution centre in Derby (Spondon) from late spring, creating 450 new operation, distribution and management jobs for local people.

The 118,000ft2 facility has been named ‘The Orchard’ by current HelloFresh colleagues after a naming contest. It will be located at SmartParc SEGRO Derby, a high-tech food manufacturing and distribution park near Spondon station, three miles to the east of Derby city centre.

The Orchard is the third distribution centre that HelloFresh has opened in the UK, and quickly follows ‘The Beehive’ in Nuneaton, which opened in 2020. The Orchard’s opening is in response to the ongoing demand for HelloFresh’s meal kits in the UK, and as the company continues to strongly invest in its long-term growth capabilities. HelloFresh currently employs more than 2,000 people in the UK, a number that will continue to grow in 2022, with the opening of the new site in Derby.

Sustainability will also run at the heart of The Orchard. In line with HelloFresh’s achievement of becoming the world’s first carbon-neutral meal kit company, all carbon emissions from production and distribution will be offset. The building will feature a 500kW photovoltaic system on its roof operated by SmartParc and able to deliver 430,000kWh per annum which relates to 224,000kg CO2e.

To prevent food waste, HelloFresh plans to set up a partnership with a local Food Bank, which will distribute unsold but still edible food to communities in need. In 2021 HelloFresh UK donated more than 1.9 million meals to The Felix Project and local food banks.

“We are really excited to be opening this new distribution centre in Derby, and getting to know the local community,” commented Laurent Guillemain, HelloFresh UK CEO. “Hundreds of operation, distribution and management jobs will be made available, and our plan is to further grow our Derby presence, offering even more local jobs in the future.

“It’s also fantastic to be one of the first major brands to join SmartParc,” added Guillemain. “The park sets a precedent for the best in sustainable design and collaboration. Their ethos of bringing people and businesses together to meet the challenges of sustainable food production, while providing opportunities for the local area, align perfectly with our own values and we’re excited to join this community.”

“I’m delighted we’ve been able to support this move through our work with SmartParc,” added Paul Simpson, Chief Executive of Derby City Council. “The Council has already allocated £5.5 million towards the project and was successful in securing £12 million of D2N2 funding, to help with the reclamation of a major brownfield site in the city.

“HelloFresh is just the kind of organisation we want to attract to Derby, with sustainability and social value at the heart of their ethos, which is brilliant to see. Not only are these attributes a key strand of our Council Plan, it’s something that we should all strive towards as businesses and individuals, to ensure a more sustainable future.”