Belgium-based manufacturer What’s Cooking? is planning to move production from one site in the Netherlands to others in the country.
The European sliced meats and ready meals maker said it plans to “transfer most of the activities” at a leased factory in Aalsmeer that slices cold cuts to its two other slicing plants elsewhere in the Netherlands.
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What’s Cooking?, formerly known as Ter Beke, is in talks over how the move will take place but is looking to relocate production by the start of March. As well as the Aalsmeer site, the company has three other factories in the Netherlands. It has eight others across Belgium, France, the UK and Poland.
In a statement, CEO Piet Sanders said: “By being and remaining local and cost-efficient, we unburden our customers, we can further invest in sustainability and in improving service and innovations, retaining the trust of existing customers and hoping to win new ones.”
What’s Cooking said the “estimated net personnel impact” at the Aalsmeer site will be 47 employees. The business said it would look to find alternative jobs within the company “for as many employees as possible”.
In August, the group reported an 11% rise in half-year turnover to €413m. The lasagne maker said volumes had declined but there were “positive signs” they would grow again in the second half of 2023 after the company secured new contracts.
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By GlobalDataEBITDA grew 19% to €20m. Profit after tax was up 62% at €2.4m.
In June, What’s Cooking walked away from a deal to buy Imperial Meat Products and Stegeman.
The company announced its intentions to acquire the brands’ respective operations in Belgium and the Netherlands in October 2021.
However, after not receiving a verdict from competition officials in Belgium and the Netherlands, What’s Cooking? has scrapped the acquisition altogether.
In 2022, What’s Cooking? saw its sales rise 12% to €781m ($855.5m). However, cost inflation weighed on the company’s profits. EBITDA dropped 21.8% to €35.9m and net profit fell 38.4% to €4.5m.
Interview, May 2023: What’s Cooking? CEO Piet Sanders on the group’s new strategy and M&A uncertainty
