HelloFresh chooses Derby for new distribution centre as demand for recipe-boxes continues across the UK
- HelloFresh is set to open a new distribution centre named The Orchard at the new SmartParc development in Derby, in late Spring 2022
- The development will create 450 new local jobs
- The new site will play a key role in allowing HelloFresh to continue growing and expanding its offering to UK customers
Derby, 31 January 2022 – The UK’s number one recipe box company – HelloFresh – is set to open a new distribution centre in Derby (Spondon) from late Spring this year, creating 450 new operation, distribution, and management jobs for local people.
The Distribution Centre is around one and a half football pitches in size (118,000 square feet), and 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.
Presence in Derby will expand production capacity significantly
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 over 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 430,000 kWh per annum which relates to 224,000 kgs 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 over 1.9 million meals to The Felix Project and local food banks.
Changing the way people eat forever
Since it launched ten years ago, HelloFresh, which is headquartered in Berlin, has expanded to dominate the global meal-kit sector, and become a major player within the grocery industry more generally. Customers are able to choose from a selection of 38 weekly recipes and receive pre-portioned kits, with instructions, direct to their doorstep. This innovative model reduces food waste and provides a convenient solution for busy customers.
HelloFresh now has 7 million active customers globally and the opening of The Orchard will play a key role in allowing the business to continue growing and expanding its offering to UK customers.
HelloFresh UK CEO, Laurent Guillemain, said:
“We are really excited to be opening this new distribution centre in Derby, and getting to know the local community. 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. 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”.
“We look forward to working with the people of Derby, and encourage them to join us – particularly, if they are interested in changing the way that people eat, forever!”
Speaking on behalf of SmartParc SEGRO Derby, SmartParc Founder and Chief Executive Jackie Wild commented:
“We are absolutely delighted to welcome HelloFresh as our first anchor client in this ground-breaking new SmartParc development. They share our ambition to see food businesses operate in a more sustainable way, and also to build close links with the Derby community. We look forward to developing our partnership with them over the next few years, and to delivering all the commercial, operational and environmental benefits that SmartParc is uniquely able to provide.”
Councillor Chris Poulter, Leader of Derby City Council said;
“This really is very exciting news for Derby. HelloFresh is a huge name, and choosing our city as their new home is testament to our strong reputation for innovation and manufacturing – Derby has a lot to offer!
“The Council has been working with the team at SmartParc for some time now, and it’s really exciting to see those efforts come to fruition. Welcoming HelloFresh will bring good quality, sustainable jobs to the city, which ultimately means income and opportunity for our people and their families.
“I look forward to welcoming HelloFresh to Derby!”
Paul Simpson, Chief Executive of Derby City Council added;
“I’m delighted we’ve been able to support this move through our work with SmartParc. 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.”