By PETER DOUGLAS
THE Outer East is set for a major jobs boost with leading English potato crisps maker Tyrrells choosing to invest in Yarra Valley Snack Foods.
The investment in the processing company is expected to create as many as 120 manufacturing jobs.
The Minister for Industry and Employment, Wade Noonan, visited Yarra Valley Snack Foods on Friday morning to make a jobs and food announcement.
Mr Noonan said the move was a major win for the region.
“The Andrews Labor Government is working with companies like Tyrrells to bring in investment that creates jobs across Melbourne and regional Victoria,” he said.
“The investment will create 120 manufacturing jobs in Melbourne’s Outer East and also support Victorian farmers, with the company sourcing high quality raw ingredients from the local regions.”
The move is a first for the company, because it will be the first time it has invested outside of the United Kingdom.
Founded in 2002, the brand has grown to become one of the UK’s favourite snack food options, producing crisps, popcorn, rice crackers and tortillas using high quality, locally sourced ingredients.
Chief Executive Officer of Tyrrells, David Milner, said he was excited over the move.
“Quality is at the very heart of everything we do and we found that there was nowhere else able to match, in terms of what was available to us, the Yarra Valley region in Victoria,” he said.
“Victoria is a very straightforward place to do business and that helped to inform the decision-making process for us, having our headquarters on the other side of the globe.”
