iceland kitchen

Iceland has begun work on the second phase of a £5m investment programme at its Deeside HQ.

The retailer said it was looking to provide an enhanced working environment for its growing central team.

Phase two, which will cost £2.5m, is set to be completed this year and includes the installation of a new air conditioning system and LED lighting throughout the building, new office furniture, extension of the ‘Roxy’ staff restaurant and the installation of a new restaurant kitchen.

The latest work follows the opening of a new product development kitchen on the site last year.

“This latest phase of work brings our total investment at Deeside in 2016 and 2017 to £5m, which is one of the largest capital outlays we have made on the site since we established our head office here in 1979,” said joint MD Nick Canning.

“Over the last year we have strengthened our head office team by around 100 people to support our renewed focus on product quality and innovation, the rapid growth of our e-commerce business, major improvements in our merchandising, and the expansion of The Food Warehouse. The success of all these initiatives is reflected in the strong sales performance recorded by Kantar Worldpanel and others, showing that Iceland is once again one of the fastest growing food retailers in the UK.

“The recruitment of many new senior personnel at our head office has given a £10m boost to the local economy and our latest investment will ensure even better working conditions for our growing team. With Chester, rural Cheshire and North Wales on our doorstep, and the cities of Manchester and Liverpool within easy reach, Deeside is a superb place to work and we look forward to creating more new jobs in our head office and stores as our growth continues.”