Benjamin Millar
About 350 new jobs have been created as HelloFresh prepares to open Australian largest meal kit packing facility in Ravenhall.
Nicknamed the Tuckerbox, the 25,500 square-metre chilled production and distribution centre opens this month with new jobs for packers, forklift drivers and quality control as well as management positions.
The warehouse will be the largest of the three HelloFresh warehouses across the country and is expected to lead to quicker deliveries across Victoria and a reduction in CO2 emissions due to sustainable design and reduced transport time.
HelloFresh Australia chief executive Tom Rutledge said the Tuckerbox will deliver local jobs, improve delivery times and enable expansion of the menu to meet changing preferences.
“The launch of our third and largest Australian chilled production facility marks an impressive milestone for the business and will allow us to better serve our growing customer base,” he said.
“Ultimately our focus is to continuously improve the product offering to our customers and how we can increase the value, convenience, and accessibility of our service.”
Mr Rutledge said the size, situation, and sophistication of the warehouse provides “a tremendous platform” for the company to realise these objectives over coming years.
“We are pleased to be creating new jobs in the local area and expanding on the partnerships we hold with many local suppliers to provide fresh and high quality ingredients to our customers,” he said.
“As the world’s largest meal kit provider, we also have a responsibility to set a clear precedent and strive towards more sustainable ways of working in our production facilities.”
Mr Rutledge said warehouse sustainability features include all outdoor furniture such as picnic tables and inside locker room benches being made of recycled soft plastic, onsite soft plastic recycling and organic waste disposal, solar hot water, skylights to maximise natural light and rainwater harvesting.
Motion and daylight sensors will reduce overall energy consumption and an ice pack production machine will produce water-based ice packs, avoiding the microplastics required for gel-filled cool packs.
All vacant roles at the new warehouse have been posted on the HelloFresh careers page at www.hellofresh.com.au/careers.
