Norwich-based hand-made frozen meals brand, Farmyard Frozen, have announced they will be moving into their new premises at the Broadland Food Innovation Centre as part of their continued growth. The business which was born out of the Covid lockdowns in January 2021, has grown to the extent where they have outgrown their current production facilities and need more space to fulfil growing demand. Farmyard Frozen is the brainchild of Chef Andrew Jones and his wife Hannah Springham, the culinary figures behind the award-winning Farmyard restaurant in Norwich and The Dial House in Reepham. Their ambition was to create refined, chef-prepared, frozen meals made with top quality, seasonal and locally sourced ingredients. Meals range from luxury Beef Wellington to seasonal summer party food alongside vegetarian dishes and indulgent deserts. Farmyard Frozen’s products are also stocked in delis, farmshops and independent retailers across Norfolk and Suffolk as well as nationwide retailers sold and direct to customers via their online shop. Last night they were also honoured at yesterday’s British Frozen Food Federation Awards, winning a Retail Innovation Award for their work in the frozen food sector and a Retail Gold Award for Best Dessert for their aptly named Gold Bar. Their growth has been so substantial that a move to a more streamlined operation was needed. And through their work getting support and business advice through the Broadland Food Innovation Support team – a move into the Centre felt natural. Hannah says “We have been overwhelmed by the public’s response to our frozen meals and demand has grown so rapidly. It’s been brilliant working with the whole Broadland Food Innovation Centre project across all its different guises from the Support to the Cluster team. They have been really proactive and supportive. It only seems natural to move into the state-of the art Centre which is ideally located for us and our team of chefs.” The state-of-the-art units at the £11.4m Food Innovation Centre at the Food Enterprise Park, just outside Norwich opened in September 2022 and includes other tenants such as Prep King and Old Rectory Preserves. Hannah continues: “When we heard about the food production units at the Broadland Food Innovation Centre it sounded exactly what we were looking for because the facilities are first class. It’s also exciting that we will be at the heart of a supportive community of innovative food and drink businesses.” Press Release 15 June 2023 Hannah and Andrew are aiming to innovate the frozen food category after their research into the quality and general perception of frozen food. Through the support available from the Broadland Food Innovation Centre project, Hannah and Andrew have been working with a team at the University of East Anglia who are carrying out research to back up their concept that frozen food retains all the nutritional value of fresh food making it good for us and good for the planet, by reducing waste. Councillor Martin Booth of Broadland District Council said: “It’s incredibly exciting to have Farmyard Frozen joining us as our newest tenant at the Broadland Food Innovation Centre. Giving businesses the space to grow and be in a position where they can innovate to expand their product line is at the heart of our ambition for the project. I welcome Andrew and Hannah to the centre and wish them huge success for the future.”
