Phoenix Foods to stop trading as 25 jobs lost

The Guernsey-based manufacturer said it was trying to find alternative employment for its workers. The company will cease trading on September 30.

Phoenix Foods’s commercial director Martina McGibney said: “Our thoughts are with our colleagues at this present time who are going through the redundancy procedure. We will be ensuring Guernsey’s code of practice is maintained throughout the consultation period.​

‘Seeking alternative employment’​

“We will be making redundancy payments in line with Jersey’s redundancy law. We have already made calls to the mds and ceos of other competitive food wholesale businesses, to help seek alternative employment for our valued colleagues.”​

Phoenix notified staff that their roles were at risk, and 25 job losses were expected.

The company blamed its decision not to agree a new long-term deal at the Old Guernsey Tobacco Factory on the current economic climate.

Trading for 25 years​

Phoenix had been trading for about 25 years. It thanked its customers for their support, and said it would continue to supply them up until September 30.

The manufacturer’s customers included hotels, schools, cafés, pubs and restaurants.

Surcouf began selling poultry and eggs in Jersey in 1945. It is now Jersey’s longest serving food supplier, it claimed.

Meanwhile, in the first two months of 2017, there were more than 2,000 job cuts​ in the food manufacturing sector.