Greggs said it took the precautionary measure to keep staff safe and it would be conducting further testing. It said the site would undergo a deep clean and would reopen as soon as possible.
This is the second time that Greggs has been hit by cases due to the Coronavirus pandemic. At the end of August a Coronavirus cluster at its Leeds Depot forced it to suspend operations. This site underwent a deep clean and has since reopened.
There have been a number of Coronavirus cases at plants and factories across the country.
Outbreaks
The Food Standards Agency recently revealed that it was monitoring 40 outbreaks of coronavirus at food plants in England.
Earlier this month Covid-19 hit the Aunty Bessie’s factory in Hull and 30 cases were confirmed at Scottish abattoir Millers of Speyside.
2 Sisters Food Group suspended production at its chicken plant in Llangefni, Wales, following multiple cases of COVID-19 there.
Greggs said that it did not expect to have any disruption on stock levels as it had planned for any issues.
Precautionary measure
A Greggs spokesperson said: “Following a small number of colleagues having tested positive for COVID-19 at our Balliol manufacturing facility, we have taken the decision to temporarily stop production as a precautionary measure to keep our teams as safe as possible.
“We are now working closely with the local Health Protection Team to ensure that we minimise any possible impact to the wider community in Newcastle and the surrounding areas. We do not foresee any stock shortages in our shops at this time.”
Recent research by analyst Shore Capital warned that Greggs could be the last baker on the high street if shops were forced to stay closed until the end of 2020 because of the coronavirus.
Greggs chief executive Roger Whiteside said earlier this year that making food as healthy as possible without sacrificing taste and texture was the key to improving the nation’s diet.
