Firefighters were called to the firm’s site in Thurnscoe near Doncaster early on Tuesday morning and contained the blaze that caused 80% damage and threatened to envelop two 10,000-litre oil containers and the firm’s offices.
The factory employed 200 staff and produced prepared foods such as pork pies and sandwiches for leading retailers and the cash and carry sector.
Meeting client demand
A spokesman for Dearne Valley Foods told FoodManufacture.co.uk: “We’ve already re-established one production line at a smaller neighbouring plant and are adding additional equipment to install another.
“The company has contacted our customers and suppliers to discuss how we can move forward in terms of meeting our commitments.”
He said it was too early to say whether the firm would resurrect the current site or establish a new facility, given that it still needed to assess damage at the main site.
South Yorkshire Fire Service released a statement yesterday saying that the fire began in a deep fat fryer and spread to the factory roof.