Heinz said that a second production line is scheduled to come came on stream next week, and that it is also working on restoring the third line, following the fire at the £60m annual turnover factory on May 6 and 7.
Around 200 staff are now back at work, and factory site manager Mike Etherington said: “This has been a tremendous achievement by everyone at the site. Without the support and hard work of our employees this would not have been possible.”
New Aunt Bessie's md
A company spokesman added that Heinz was continuing to take all possible actions to minimise the impact on customers and consumers of the availability of Aunt Bessie’s potato products which it produces under license from the Aunt Bessie’s brand, which is part of William Jackson Food Group.
A spokesman for Aunt Bessie’s said: “We are working with Heinz and supporting them as they develop plans to get back into production.”
Aunt Bessie’s has also recruited a new md, FoodManufacture.co.uk has learnt, following the recent departure of Paul Heritage. Mark McDavid, most recently md of Hallmark Cards, is due to join the company on June 6. He was previously interim md of Fletchers Bakery.
Fire investigation
An investigation into the Westwick fire is now being carried out jointly by Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service and Heinz.
Around 100 firefighters from across the Norfolk used foam, breathing apparatus and an aerial ladder platform to tackle the “well developed” blaze in a 100x100m square production area. Some 50-60 staff were onsite at the time of the fire but all were evacuated safely.
Heinz has invested millions of pounds in Westwick in recent years, including installing new potato cutting and direct packing equipment, as well as a new blancher.
As of last October, the factory produced 52,000t of produce a year, including Aunt Bessie's branded Roast Potatoes, Chips, Wedges, Croquettes and Mid Week Mini Roasties.