Farmfresh Fine Foods to grow production and jobs with new expansion

This two-decade old food-service business was hit hard by the halt to airline travel. Now, it’s bouncing back with a multimillion dollar expansion and new job vacancies. SEE THE VIDEO

A Bundaberg food business has made it through tough times and will undergo a $4.3 million expansion, creating 24 new local jobs.

Farmfresh Fine Foods recently received support from the state government under the $175 million Jobs and Regional Growth Fund.

The expansion will allow the company to value add to their range of roasted frozen products, pureed and pickled vegetables.

“This will include a new forming, battering and fryline which will add to the extensive range of roasted frozen products, as well as pureed and pickled products,” said General Manager Andrew Gerry.

“We’ll have a bigger concentration on what we’ll be able to offer in the food service market, different packaging options, new styles of products and we’ll be able to look at double shifts so the factory will run at five or six days a week, so there’s great employment opportunities there.

“This will be a very exciting new growth phase for us and for Bundaberg and other regional growers.”

Luke, Andrew and Janelle Gerry of Farmfresh Fine Foods.

The company has been running for about 20 years and gives local growers a home for their second-grade produce.

They have also supplied products for food service on domestic and international airlines.

“We went on the journey of looking for opportunities where we could value add those second grade foods and give growers back a more reasonable value for the work, effort and costs of growing them,” he said.

“We’ve wanted to stay away from competing with imports directly, and went down the road of roasted style frozen products, puree and products going to food service markets and meal manufacturing.”

Farmfresh Fine Foods makes a range of roasted frozen vegetables, as well as purees and pickled products.

The company was hit hard by the Covid pandemic last year, with the halt of domestic and international airline travel.

Mr Gerry said the expansion would allow the company to pivot from those challenges.

“With the funding program now that gives us a great opportunity to present and compete more in the international scene and the local market as well,” he said.

“The market is a very moving market so you need to be able to pivot and change and move with it, so this has been a great opportunity to be able to do that.”

Bundaberg MP Tom Smith and Deputy Premier Steven Miles sampled some of the products made at the facility.

Bundaberg MP Tom Smith said it was exciting to hear more jobs would be created through the project.

“That means a lot to our Bundaberg community, to know we have local iconic families, running our local iconic businesses and creating jobs for the people in our region, that’s just a winning story,” he said.

“Farmfresh Fine Foods is already a major ingredient supplier to national food retailer products, food service and quick-service restaurant chains, meal delivery companies and they will be better equipped to give their customers even more choice.”

Deputy Premier Steven Miles was in Bundaberg on Wednesday to announce the government’s support for the expansion.

“Our economic recovery plan is all about supporting our existing businesses to expand and employ more people and that’s precisely what we’re supporting Farmfresh Fine Foods to do,” he said.