Bean there, done that: Kraft Heinz is moving into the Shard
Until now, the Shard's tenants have been a mixture of media companies, swish hotels and restaurants and the odd finance giant. Now it has unveiled its new tenant – with a decidedly beanier flavour.
Real Estate Management (REM), the company which manages the Shard, said Kraft Heinz is moving its European and UK headquarters to the Shard.
The world's fifth-largest food and beverage manufacturer, Kraft Heinz has signed a 12-year lease to take over 38,000 sq ft on levels 20 and 21, with fit-out beginning in the New Year.
That brings the Shard to 96 per cent capacity, with 59,000 sq ft remaining on the 11th, 12th, 13th and 18th storeys.
Heinz apparently made the decision to move its headquarters from Hayes in Middlesex in order to "strengthen its dynamic culture".
“The Shard will provide us with a dynamic open-office layout that will facilitate better communication, faster decision making, greater focus and collaboration," said Michael Mullen, senior vice president of corporate and government affairs at Kraft Heinz.
The Shard, which launched in 2012, has been slow to fill up. Earlier this year accounting software giant Sage signed a deal for 9,574 sq ft on level 17 – while Foresight Group, a private equity firm, said it was planning to double its office space by moving to a higher floor in the skyscraper.