Seafood processor Marine Harvest has started talks with staff over the future of its Brookside Products plant but has refused to be drawn on claims it is looking to sell the site to rival Bleikers.
The plant, which smokes, prepares and packages salmon, employs 64 staff. The firm started a 30-day consultation process on 13 August, which Doug Aitchison, a director at Brookside Products, said “may ultimately lead to closure of the plant”.
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“We are very sorry that we are having to consider this but the plant has lost approximately GBP4m over the last three years and this is not sustainable. Our latest review of the current trading position painted a gloomy picture and therefore we must consider all of the options available to us. We have invested almost GBP400,000 over the last three years but the plant continues to struggle,” Aitchison said.
Press speculation suggested the firm was looking to sell the plant to Bleikers. However in an email to just-food, a spokesperson for Marine Harvest refused to confirm or deny the rumour, adding the firm “doesn’t have anything else to add at this stage”.
No-one at Bleikers was available for comment when approached by just-food.
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