Kerry Group has begun consultation on the future of its frozen ready-meals facility in the UK town of Grimsby.

The Irish food giant told just-food today (6 February) that it has entered talks on the future of the factory amid increased competition and declining sales in the frozen ready-meals market.

Kerry acquired the site last year when it bought UK rival Headland Foods. The company has already closed a second factory, in the Welsh town of Flint, that it acquired through the Headland deal.

A Kerry spokesperson said the company it has informed employees of the review of its frozen ready meals business, which is as a result of “lower factory throughput”. Some 337 jobs are under threat if the plant closes.

“While we have made significant reductions to our costs base and have sought to win new business, to date we have found that none of the measures have been able to restore profitability at the Grimsby site,” the spokesperson said. “If the conclusion is to terminate production of frozen meals in Grimsby, then we will of course look at other potential projects for this site.”

Production at the site could transfer to Kerry’s Carrick Macross facility in Ireland, he added, which “has capacity to produce the output from Grimsby, is a much larger facility and is very efficient”.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.