An additional 30 roles have been created to help support the agreement, with the site also conducting several training sessions for current staff to ensure they are ready to begin production. There is also scope for further recruitment when volumes increase in 2021.
Andy Shepherdson, Site Director at Pilgrim’s Pride Ltd. Kings Lynn (pictured), said: “This is fantastic news for the site and for the local area, securing our future for years to come. We have an enthusiastic and hard-working team here at Kings Lynn and as volumes increase in the next few months, there will be further recruitment opportunities to come.
New range
“We’ll be creating a delicious range of products and I know our colleagues will be very proud to see them stocked on Aldi’s shelves when they next visit.”
Kings Lynn-based Pilgrim’s will supply the retailer with a range of fresh packaged hams, including wafer thin honey roast ham, cooked ham slices and thick cut oak smoked and honey roast ham products. The agreement is set to run until 2025.
Pilgrim’s Pride chief executive Andrew Cracknell added: “This agreement represents a significant milestone on our journey to become the best and most respected company in our industry.
‘Unrivalled farming base’
“With this new partnership, Aldi has bought into our unrivalled farming base and supply chain, the capabilities and credentials of our factories and the expertise and passion of our team. We look forward to growing the relationship further in the years ahead.”
The past month has seen a number of food and drink manufacturers create new roles within their business, in order to keep up with demand and capitalise on expansions.
Last month, McQueens Dairies has created 100 new jobs as part of a multimillion-pound expansion of its production capacity.
Meanwhile, vegetable, salad and mayonnaise producer Troy Foods has completed a fourth factory in Yorkshire, creating more than 20 jobs and supported by £500,000 via the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF).