When Young’s Seafood first announced it was transferring production from the Cromer Crab Company site to Grimsby in May 2012, a high-profile campaign was launched. Thousands signed a petition to ‘Keep it Cromer’ and the cause was championed by celebrities such as Stephen Fry, Alan Titchmarsh, and Olympic rower Matthew Pinsent.
Despite this, the Cromer Crab Company closed its factory door for the last time in August 2012.
Ex-fisherman and Cromer resident Kevin Jonas was looking to expand his seafood processing company Jonas Seafood at the time the factory closed. He saw the potential in the product and decided to join forces with Nick Samujlik, who worked for the Cromer Crab Company for 20 years.
People let go by Young’s
Jonas told FoodManufacture.co.uk: “We’d like to employ as many of the people let go by Young’s as possible.”
“We’ve had great support from North Norfolk Council and North Norfolk Business Forum consultants helped us to put our business plan together.
Funding support has come from the Pathfinder fund and the Marine Management Organisation grant.
The 15-year lease for the building was signed on March 24, so the next stage is to build the factory.
Jonas said: “We’ve got a 15-year lease on a warehouse so we’re building the unit from the bottom up to comply with the latest food safety standards. We’re hoping to start production in September 2013.”
Create 20 jobs
Jonas aims to create 20 jobs in the first full year of production.
He currently supplies seafood to independent local supermarkets but his long-term plan is to scale up to national levels.
“In the long-term I’m looking for a national presence for the Cromer Crab brand,” he said.
He’s had interest from the local Waitrose store but the new firm will have to prove that it meets stringent technical requirements before Cromer Crab can appear on the shelves of the premium supermarket chain.
Tom Fitzpatrick, leader of North Norfolk District Council, told FoodManufacture.co.uk: “The District Council has worked hard to help ensure that Jonas Seafoods has been able to set up production in Cromer. We’re pleased to see the return of larger-scale seafood processing to Cromer and the provision of a facility that will ensure that the iconic quality Cromer Crab can be processed in the town and supply supermarkets and national retailers.”
The Cromer Crab Company name is now owned by North Norfolk District Council but Jonas will trade the product under his own company name at least in the initial stages of the venture.
After 10 years working on deep-water trawlers from Lowestoft, the Cromer-born man founded Jonas Seafood in 1995. His father was a crab fisherman at Cromer.