Gousto to take on Hellofresh in major expansion as it creates dozens of new jobs

Gousto, the recipe kit provider, has unveiled ambitions to extend its market reach by launching operations in the Republic of Ireland, a move that is set to introduce new employment opportunities as the company intensifies its rivalry with Hellofresh.

This expansion will lead to more than 30 new roles in 2025, encompassing areas such as management, marketing, food, supply chain, and fulfilment, as reported by City AM.

Entering a space already inhabited by Hellofresh, Gousto anticipates further job creation as the Irish arm of the business grows.

The company has committed to sourcing over one-third of ingredients locally from the island of Ireland from the outset.

Gousto founder Timo Boldt commented on the strategic step: "Our research reveals Irish consumers are highly engaged in health but until now this has not been reflected in dinner choices across the country."

He continued, "We aim to fill this gap in the market, with an inspiring range of nutritious, fresh, home-cooked recipes, which make healthy eating simple."

Emphasising the progression of the company's growth, he added, "Launching into the Republic of Ireland was the natural next step following our successful expansion into Northern Ireland."

Expounding further, Boldt elaborated on the company's offer to the Irish market: "We will deliver to the nation's 1.8 million households an unrivalled recipe choice, expanding their cooking repertoire with simple to create dishes from around the world, exceptional value, combined with the convenience to make cooking from scratch the obvious choice, all backed up by local fulfilment and local sourcing."

This announcement comes as the company seeks a return to profit after experiencing extensive job cuts.

Gousto's expansion follows its September 2023 announcement that it was on track to return to profit within the financial year.

However, accounts released in October 2024 showed that the company had not achieved this goal, although it did manage to reduce its pre-tax loss from £157.5m to £75.6m.

In 2023, Gousto reduced its workforce from 1,750 to 1,416. A trading update issued in May 2024 revealed the business was now profitable, but exact figures were not disclosed.

The company's next full set of accounts are due to be filed with Companies House at the end of September this year.

Since its inception, Gousto has raised nearly $350m (£276.8m) in equity from global investors including SoftBank and Fidelity International.

Recently, UK meal box companies have been contracting following significant growth after their initial launch.

In September 2024, City AM reported that the UK branch of Hellofresh significantly reduced its pre-tax loss as its turnover neared the £500m mark and it cut 15 per cent of its workforce.

The last time the UK arm of Hellofresh reported a pre-tax profit was the £8m it made in 2020. Since then, it has lost almost £50m.