Compass Group Invests in New UK Cuisine Centre to Expand Sustainable Food Production

Compass Group UK & Ireland is investing in a new 10,000 square metre Cuisine Centre in Derbyshire that will produce more than 70 million meals annually, supporting food manufacturing capacity, supply chain resilience and sustainability.

New Cuisine Centre to Boost Sustainable Food Manufacturing

Compass Group UK & Ireland has announced the launch of a new Cuisine Centre in Derbyshire, marking a major investment in large-scale food production and sustainable manufacturing.

Scheduled to open in late 2026, the 10,000 square metre facility will produce more than 70 million nutritious meals each year for customers across the public and private sectors.

The Cuisine Centre will be located at SmartParc SEGRO Derby, part of a £300 million investment to create a 155-acre regenerated brownfield food manufacturing and distribution site. The facility is designed to increase production capacity while enhancing operational efficiency and sustainability.

Technology and Sustainability Drive Facility Design

The new Cuisine Centre will incorporate modern production capabilities alongside sustainability-focused infrastructure.

An on-site energy centre will recycle waste heat to reduce energy consumption, while the first phase of solar generation will provide approximately 20 per cent of the facility’s electricity requirements.

Compass Group said the site will also contribute to wider sustainability objectives through improvements in water conservation, waste reduction, transport efficiency and packaging.

The facility will support the company’s ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040.

Five Product Ranges Support Diverse Catering Requirements

The Cuisine Centre will manufacture five specialist meal ranges – Moreish, Medley, Nurture, Steamplicity and Esteem – with all products freshly prepared on site.

Together, the ranges will include more than 200 main meals, side dishes and desserts developed through collaboration between chefs and dietitians to deliver taste, quality and nutritional value.

Compass Group said ingredients will be sourced from trusted suppliers that meet its food safety, quality and responsible sourcing standards. Alongside its established supplier network, the business also plans to explore opportunities to increase regional sourcing as the facility opens, supporting local communities and British food producers.

Centralised Production Supports Operational Efficiency

The company said the Cuisine Centre has been designed to help catering operations improve efficiency while maintaining consistent food quality.

Meals will be available in flexible formats, including multiportion and plated options, helping kitchen teams reduce preparation time while improving allergen control measures. Compass Group added that centralised production will also help reduce energy consumption and food waste.

Charles Brown, Interim CEO of Compass Group UK & Ireland, said: “The new Cuisine Centre is a significant step forward for our business, allowing us to scale up our existing operations through a larger, more advanced facility. The scale and capability of the new facility brings more production in-house, strengthening supply continuity, delivering greater supply chain resilience, and enhancing our ability to deliver high-quality, nutritious meals produced responsibly and at scale.

“We are a large and diverse business that has the dexterity to meet specific market demands within the sectors we operate. This facility meets a specific need case, for delivering consistent, quality, nutritious meals in a safe and controlled environment, reducing allergen risks, as well as giving time back to kitchen teams.”

Investment Supports Skills and Regional Food Manufacturing

Compass Group said the Cuisine Centre will also support its Social Promise, which aims to help one million people by 2030 through employment, training, skills development and community engagement.

Jackie Wild of SmartParc SEGRO Derby said: “Compass Group’s new Cuisine Centre is exactly the kind of investment SmartParc SEGRO Derby was designed to support. The development brings advanced food production, shared infrastructure and lower-carbon operational benefits together on a regenerated brownfield site, giving businesses the space and flexibility to modernise how they produce food.

We look forward to seeing the facility become an important part of Compass Group’s future production network and of Derby’s growing food manufacturing sector.”