Pilgrim’s UK has confirmed the decision to close its Bury St Edmunds and Coalville manufacturing sites, in what will be a phased process while the transfer of products to alternative Pilgrim’s sites takes place.
This decision follows the conclusion of collective and one-to-one consultations, after the company announced in September that it was planning to close the two sites and reduce production at its Ashton site, resulting in the potential loss of nearly 700 jobs.
In a statement, Pilgrim’s said: “We would like to thank all of those involved in the process, for their outstanding professionalism and high-quality levels of service maintained during what we recognise has been a challenging time.
“We are working closely with colleagues at risk of redundancy, providing them with support and guidance, including details of alternative opportunities within the Pilgrim’s UK network.”
The move came after the company’s latest Annual Report and Accounts revealed it recorded an operating loss of £16 million in 2021, on the back of the challenges facing the pig sector.
“Over the last 18 months, the UK pig sector has faced the most challenging time in its history due to a combination of significant increases in production costs, falling pig prices across Europe and the UK, a decline in demand, labour shortages and the restrictions on the ability to export from some sites into key overseas markets,” the company said.