2 Sisters gears up to create up to 500 jobs in 2013

A spokesman for the food group told FoodManufacture.co.uk: “We told our employees before Christmas that moving to five in seven day working​ to meet our customer demand, and the additional business won last year with Sainsbury and other customers, would help us create up to 500 new jobs in our poultry business, starting this year.”​

The food group won the contract to supply Sainsbury in March last year.

It was already one of Sainsbury’s suppliers but picked up the additional business when the supermarket announced that it would be consolidating its poultry supply base from three poultry suppliers to two (2 Sisters and Moy Park). This was part of its 2020 strategy and a focus on more British-sourced supply.

More British-sourced supply​

A spokeswoman for Sainsbury told FoodManufacture.co.uk: “​We are committed to doubling the amount of British food we sell by 2020. Our strategy is to ensure we can continue to provide the highest quality produce at the best possible value for our customers while, at the same time, supporting British farming and agriculture.”​

2 Sisters said: “We gained significant new business with Sainsbury following an agreement to deliver an innovative end-to-end poultry solution. ​

“This additional supply business, which commences in the second quarter of 2013, will be managed through our existing sites and we expect to invest in additional capacity at several of our processing sites.”​

Clegg Food Projects has begun construction work on the extension of an existing factory in Newport, South Wales and an adjustment to the layout of two chicken processing sites in Norfolk and Devon. Construction work is estimated to be completed by mid-2013. 

Clegg Food Projects​

Clegg Food Projects business development director John Moxon said: “The work will involve Clegg Food Projects improving the general production facilities by altering and extending the existing factories. The schemes at all three of the sites will boost production for 2 Sisters Food group so that it can increase its output.”​

2 Sisters said the Newport site was operating at a loss and “well below capacity​” when it was purchased as part of the £30M Brookes Avana deal​ with Premier Foods in December 2011. The deal also included the Brookes Avana site in Leicester, which is now closing​.

The company plans to transfer some of the remaining production at its Leicester factory to other sites. The Newport site is one of the sites that will pick up this production.

Last year West Midlands workers went on strike​ over management’s proposed changes to pay and working conditions, including a move to a five in seven day working pattern.