More than 400 jobs at Tulip’s site in Boston, Lincolnshire site are at risk, after losing a major supply contract with Marks & Spencer.
As a result, the sliced cooked meats manufacturing site will soon commence collective consultation with the site Works Committee over potential job losses. It is anticipated that existing commercial commitments will come to an end in August this year.
In a statement, Tulip said: “We have been notified of a decision in respect of a tender process with M&S. The news is not what we had expected and clearly we are all are deeply disappointed by this news.”
The statement said that Tulip has a high profile in the area and remains committed to the region, with other sites in Ruskington, Spalding and King’s Lynn, as well as Boston.
“We will explore every opportunity to look at alternatives and minimise any impact on our people’s livelihoods, the company said. “In the meantime, we are committed to seeing out our existing contractual obligations.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for M&S said: “We constantly work with our suppliers to make sure we have the best possible supply base for our customers. We understand that there are some impacts locally when changes are made, and we will always work with our suppliers to support them and make those changes in the right way.
“While we won’t be working with Tulip at the Boston site, it remains an important supplier for other products and we will be doing all we can to support them as it consults with its team.”