Roberts Bakery has set out plans to close a factory in central England.
The family-owned group said the plant in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, is “no longer aligned” with its plans.
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In a brief statement, Roberts Bakery said it had conducted “a comprehensive review of the company’s product portfolio, overall footprint and long-term business strategy”.
The company said it had come to the “difficult decision” to shut the site, which employs 38 staff.
“While the Ilkeston site has contributed significantly to the Roberts business over time, the review has concluded that the site is no longer aligned with the company’s future plans,” it added.
Just Food has asked for more detail on why the Ilkeston site no longer fits the group’s plans.
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By GlobalDataEarlier this year, it emerged Roberts Bakery was looking to cut up to 250 jobs at its factory in Northwich in north-west England.
At the time, the group pointed to “significant challenges” in the UK bread market. Increased competition had put pressure on prices while demand for “standard white bread” was falling, it added.
The Northwich site was hit by a fire two years ago, which meant two-thirds of its production was lost for more than a year.
According to Companies House, the UK business register, the Frank Roberts & Sons holding company generated a turnover of £76.1m ($103m) in the 12 months to 31 August 2024, down from £96m a year earlier.
Pre-tax profits stood at £20.2m, versus a pre-tax loss of £7m the year previous.
The business made a net profit of £15.1m, against a net loss of £5.6m the year previous.
Last month, two of the UK’s three largest bakery groups announced plans to join forces.
Associated British Foods, the owner of Allied Bakeries, struck a deal to acquire the Hovis bread business from UK-headquartered private-equity firm Endless. The transaction will need the approval of the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority.
