Plans for the region’s largest fresh food hub have been announced following a £3m investment from a well-known food entrepreneur.

The new facility aims to supersede the existing North East Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market, on Gateshead’s Team Valley, which has been in existence for more than 50 years.

John Holland, CEO of JR Holland Group, is aiming to open the new site in early 2021, creating or securing 60 jobs with the development of the former Man lorry depot into a 25,000 sq. ft facility in the centre of a two-acre site.

Work is under way to transform the space into a fresh produce market which will operate as a wholesale provider to fruit and vegetable retailers, restaurants, hospitals, caterers, schools, universities and more.

The new site will be able to process around 100,000 packages of produce each week. Mr Holland said: “My dream is to create a one stop, fresh produce hub of the future.

“I want to bring the fresh produce community together under one roof where they can be inspired, where they can network and do business together.

“The fresh produce hub will be a tidy, clean and inspirational one-stop marketplace that will shorten supply chains, reduce food miles and ultimately drive forward our industry into a new era of growth.

“The specialist knowledge and customer and supplier relationships we have developed through 40 years in the sector are fundamental to the core of our business, and I want to build upon this to create a new go-to place for everybody’s fresh produce needs.”

Under Mr Holland’s plans, all produce will be sourced on an exclusive basis direct from suppliers in the North East and further afield.

A key ambition behind the initiative is to invest in long-term relationships with producers and farmers to ensure full traceability and value.

Due to operate seven days a week with extended hours to maximise customer accessibility, the development will also feature temperature-controlled zones to allow the daily deliveries of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Simon Haggie of property agents Knight Frank acquired the property on behalf of Mr Holland and the building works will be project managed by Ian Tew, also of Knight Frank.