- $1 million grant for Foodfolk Australia to increase ready-made meal production for customers on land and in the air
- Expansion project to triple Foodfolk Australia's capacity and improve efficiency plan
- Cook Government's Value Add Investment Grants support economic growth and job creation
A Cook Government investment is helping a Western Australian family-owned and operated business take off, backing their expansion plans to put their ready-made meals on more in-flight menus.
Foodfolk Australia will use a $1 million Value Add Investment Grant to support the next stage of its ambitious $10 million expansion project, which will see the business relocate and upgrade its operations at Perth Airport.
The Cook Government grant will support Foodfolk Australia to introduce new state-of-the-art technology, advanced equipment and automation to boost the capacity and efficiency of the business.
This will enable Foodfolk Australia to triple its meal production, increasing its share of the Australian aviation and non-aviation market, including mining, events, hospitals and aged care, while opening the door to new international air-carrier customers.
New processing and packaging equipment will support Foodfolk Australia's ethos of 'less waste, more taste' by extending the shelf life of fresh packaged meals from five days to 20 days.
The expansion will create 100 new jobs over the next three years, with the potential for a further 100 jobs within the decade.
The Value Add Investment Grants program supports agriculture, food and beverage businesses to invest in the expansion or relocation of their value-adding and manufacturing operations in WA.
As stated by Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis:
"It's truly exciting to support Foodfolk Australia, which started as a small business, to reach new heights and put more of WA's incredible produce on the menu - whether it is for high-flying dining or catering for customers in the health, mining and events industries.
"The Value Add Investment Grants program is helping a diverse range of agrifood and beverage businesses across the State to take on large-scale expansion plans, providing a significant boost for local economies and supply chains.
"These grants are just one of the ways the Cook Government continues to back WA's growing food industry."
As stated by Belmont MLA Cassie Rowe:
"Foodfolk Australia is a fantastic local success story - growing from a small family lunch bar in Belmont to a leading in-flight catering service.
"This Value Add Investment Grant will help Foodfolk Australia to grow even further, meaning more jobs in our local community and more customers enjoying Foodfolk Australia's high-quality meals that are prepared right here in Belmont."
