Meet Tarsem Dhaliwal from Padgate who is CEO of Iceland Foods

Tarsem Dhaliwal heads up Iceland foods, which has just received the keys for an enormous new distribution centre at Omega.

After a two-year construction phase, work will now begin to fit-out the unit, which measures 550 square feet – or in excess of eight football pitches.

The flagship site is due to open in late 2024 and employs more than 700 people – and Tarsem says it was important to him that such a facility was located in Warrington.

Speaking to the Warrington Guardian at the new depot, he said: “It is brilliant having this depot here. We have a facility already in Woolston, and a fair chunk of the workforce will move over here, but we will create more jobs here as well.

The new Iceland distribution centre at Omega. Picture: Dave Gillespie

“We also have three shops here in Warrington – two Iceland stores and an Iceland Food Warehouse – and we are looking at opening another Food Warehouse on the other side of Warrington.

“I am a local lad and we employ a lot of people from Warrington. If we ended up going somewhere else, what do those guys do?

“It is a good location on the M62, so good transport wise, and we have loads of good quality people in our existing Warrington depot, and we do not want to lose them.

“This depot is massive and is all under one roof, whereas the one in Woolston is an old Morrisons depot in two buildings, which is not ideal for efficiency and loading.

Tarsem Dhaliwal, CEO at Iceland. Picture: Dave Gillespie

“We did have offers to go somewhere else, but we decided on Warrington.”

Tarsem explained how he emigrated to the UK from India with his family in 1968, with their first house being on Kingsway North, sharing with his uncle.

They then moved to a bungalow in Padgate, where his mum still lives, while his sisters lived in Stockton Heath, Cinnamon Brow and Newton-le-Willows.

Tarsem went to Bruche infant and junior school, and then Woolston High School.

The new Iceland distribution centre at Omega. Picture: Dave Gillespie

On the new depot, he said: “We are a private, family-owned business – the Walker family and the Dhaliwal family own Iceland and we run it as a family business.

“We have an expression at Iceland that we are long-term greedy, and that means we do not make short-term decisions.

“Everything is for the long-term, and this £80million depot is for the long-term, because we want to open a lot more stores and Food Warehouses around the country, and the vast majority of them will be serviced from this depot.

“Being here is important to me, being brought up in Warrington. My mum and sisters still live in Warrington.”