Lines briefly restarted at the former Northumberland Foods frozen vegetable facility shortly before Christmas, after a dispute between Longbenton and the administrator – which sold the factory to the North Tyneside firm last autumn – led to Begbies Trayner locking-up the site due to non-payment of money owed.
But Amble Town Council councillor Ian Hinson told FoodManufacture.co.uk this afternoon that the apparent resolution of the dispute in late December was a false dawn: “There seems to be no activity on the site at all, and I don’t think there has been before Christmas.
“Production restarted then and everyone was full of optimism, but after a few days everything came to a halt once again.”
Sale conditions not met
Longbenton Foods originally took over the site last autumn and re-employed 70 former staff; it also said it had signed supply contracts with local producers, while the firm hoped production lines would be running at maximum capacity by Christmas.
Said Hinson: “Longbenton said the conditions of sale from the administrator had not been met, and certain [financial] transfers had not been made by agreed dates. So until they come up with the money it looks like the site will remain closed.
“The administrators moved in and locked everything up at the site. The firm was full of optimistic statements to staff when work started again just before Christmas, but I think many feel real bitterness now due to the continued uncertainty.”
Continuing turmoil at the Amble site has now led Sir Alan Beith MP to ask Begbies Trayner and Longbenton Foods for an urgent explanation over the site closure.
"I am very concerned that the factory seems to be closed again and that there is continuing uncertainty for the employees,” he said.
Focus on keeping jobs
“I have been in contact with Geir Frantzen of Longbenton Foods and am now asking Bob Maxwell, the administrator of Northumberland Foods, for information about the current situation.
"I am very keen to ensure the administrator and Longbenton Foods can work together,” said Beith, “and that the focus is on keeping jobs and communicating effectively with the workers who have put so much effort into keeping production going over the last few months.
“The workers deserve to be kept fully informed about their job prospects. We all want the factory to have a sound long-term future in Amble with jobs for local people."
Longbenton Foods refused to comment when contacted by FoodManufacture.co.uk, while Maxwell was unavailable to speak at the time of going to press.