Bernard Matthews mulls plant closure, hitting 80 jobs

The company has entered a 30-day consultation period to consider options for the staff affected at the factory, which it acquired four years ago as part of Lincolnshire Turkeys.

“Bernard Matthews can confirm that it has begun a staff consultation process with its workforce at its Lincs Turkeys processing site at Grainthorpe in Lincolnshire, as a result of the company’s proposal to close the site,”​ a spokesman for the business confirmed in a statement.

Consultation​

“The consultation is expected to result in a reduction of approximately 80 employees out of a workforce of 2,130.”​

The firm’s plan was to integrate existing processing requirements into its Norfolk and Suffolk sites, he said.

However, he stressed that Bernard Matthews remained “firmly committed”​ to the Lincs Turkey business and that its farming operation would remain unchanged by the expected closure of the Grainthorpe facility.

‘No longer economically viable’​

The proposal had not been taken lightly, the spokesman added, but “due to a significant reduction in Christmas orders for Linc Turkeys in 2014 the site will no longer be economically viable”​.

He acknowledged the uncertainty felt by individuals affected, but said staff would “be offered the opportunity to relocate to one of its other sites and they will be kept regularly updated throughout the process”​.

The poultry industry was dealt a blow last year by soaring grain prices. Firms taking part in a British Poultry Council survey​, such as Bernard Matthews, Faccenda and Moy Park, expressed their concern about the potential negative effect on their businesses.

Bernard Matthews’ new ceo Rob Burnett, who will join the company on June 30 from Hain Daniels Group​, where he is boss of its S Daniels and Hain Daniels businesses, will be aiming to tackle these pressures.