Elkes Biscuits factory has been saved from closure by the owner of UK-based 2 Sisters Food Group.
The plant, located in Uttoxeter in the English Midlands, was in the hands of poultry producer 2 Sisters after the site was retained when the company sold the bulk of its biscuit assets to Ferrero in 2020. Last year, the loss-making facility was earmarked for closure as 2 Sisters weighed up options.
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However, Ranjit Singh Boparan, the billionaire owner of 2 Sisters, has stepped in to buy the plant for an undisclosed sum via his Boparan Private Office investment vehicle, which also houses turkey supplier Bernard Matthews and restaurant chains Carluccios, Giraffe and Ed’s Easy Diner.
Around 520 jobs have been saved amid plans to build a “sustainable long-term future for the site”.
Kevin Hand, the plant’s director, said in a statement: “We’re really delighted to be able to continue the 100-year-old biscuit-making story in Uttoxeter now we have a new owner. The opportunity with the Boparan Private Office opens up a fresh new chapter for us and gives us the best possible chance to grow and develop the business.”
He added: “To be able to announce this great news and save this site and the hundreds of jobs that go with it will hopefully bring a smile to many people’s faces. We want to build a long-term sustainable business here and bring through more generations of people.”
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By GlobalData2 Sisters sold part of its Fox’s Biscuits business last year to an affiliate of Italian sweet-snacks giant Ferrero for GBP246m (US$317.8m).
