Contractor named for food innovation centre

Willmott Dixon has been appointed to deliver the £9.1M Broadland Food Innovation Centre, a joint partnership between Broadland District Council and the New Anglia LEP.

The centre will be at the heart of the Food Enterprise Park outside Norwich and support the growth of local food and drink firms in the area.

Procured via the Scape framework, the project comprises two linked buildings, which will house 13 individual units fitted out to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) food hygiene grade.

The design also incorporates a landscaped ‘green street’ at the centre of the two buildings with a ring road for tenants to access their units. A focal Hub area will be used to bridge the production and office spaces, providing a shared area for tenants to use the test kitchen and sensory tasting spaces for product development.

Sustainability is at the heart of the design, with the buildings being designed to a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating.

Chris Tredget, Managing Director at Willmott Dixon for the Northern Home Counties and East Region, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed to deliver the Food Innovation Centre, which will provide fantastic facilities to the thriving local food and drink industry. Once completed, the centre will be a great addition to the local area with top class facilities to help local businesses expand and grow. We’re very much looking forward to starting on site.”