HelloFresh, known for its recipe boxes, has announced the opening of a 388,000ft² distribution centre in Derby – the company’s largest in Europe.
Known as ‘The Windmill’, the site has created around 300 jobs in the local area so far, with ‘more expected in the coming months as it ramps up production’.
The logistics sector is a major employer in the East Midlands. According to 2022 census data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the transportation and storage industry employs 6,000 Derby residents – 4.4% of the city’s employed population. Meanwhile, the data shows that 22,000 people in Derby work in manufacturing, making up 16.2% of overall jobs.
Derbyshire has seen some major news in developments announced recently, including Logicor’s forwarding funding of a 500,000ft² distribution warehouse and the completion of Ascott Transport Limited’s eight-figure development.
On site, automated production lines have been installed, which the company believes will ‘allow for handling of greater product complexity to give customers more recipes to choose from as well as options to further personalise their meals, including options to replace meat for plant-based alternatives or customise portion sizes’.
Furthermore, the site will use use ‘best-in-class predictive algorithms and technology to improve inventory management processes, reduce waste and ultimately deliver ingredients that are fresher than ever’.
Adam Park, UK CEO of HelloFresh, said: “We are delighted to open our largest and most advanced European distribution centre – The Windmill – here in Derby. 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.
“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.
“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.”
With an eye on its sustainability commitments, HelloFresh developed The Windmill in partnership with SmartParc SEGRO Derby, a low-carbon food manufacturing campus in Spondon, Derby, to be ‘one of the most sustainable production facilities in the country’.
The site has been awarded BREEAM ‘Excellent’ certification and ‘will derive 100% of its energy from renewable sources’. These include ‘a rainwater harvesting system, a 22MVA 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’.
Additional sustainability features include EV charging spaces, secure bicycle storage and local bus services to encourage employees at the site to make their commute to work more sustainable.
Do you want to find out more about the latest trends and issues within the industrial and logistics property sector?
Register now for Logistics Manager’s Industrial & Logistics Property Conference, taking place on 15 May 2024 at 30 Euston Square, London!
