US foodservice giant set to create Europe's largest depot in Hemel Hempstead

US foodservice giant Sysco has announced plans to create its largest depot in Europe in Hemel Hempstead.

The distributor, which is the parent company of London-based food supplier Brakes, is initially investing $100million on a former Amazon site in Maylands. It will spend the next 18 months adapting the 475,000sq ft site – the size of around six football pitches – to make it suitable for foodservice operations including the introduction of frozen and chilled areas and creating sustainability improvements across the area.

As well as serving food businesses across London and the Southeast, the move will create hundreds of local jobs.

Sysco GB CEO Paul Nieduszynsk said: “The new Sysco depot is a next generation site, unlike anything we’ve seen before. As the largest Sysco site in Europe, it will offer a more comprehensive service to independent customers in London and the surrounding areas. It takes foodservice wholesale in Britain to an entirely new level.

“For the first time, we will be able to introduce the full suite of technology that benefits Sysco customers in the United States. The size of the depot will also allow us to be more responsive to customer demand by holding a full range of products on the edge of Greater London. The combination of scale, cutting-edge technology, range and service will set a new standard for foodservice wholesale in the UK.”

Over the next 10 years, the new site will help contribute to the creation of 850 jobs, and will be fully operational at the beginning of 2026.