Some 25 jobs are to go at Dairy Crest’s spreads site in Kirkby after discussions between the UK dairy group and staff.
Speaking to analysts today (31 March), chief executive Mark Allen said Dairy Crest had completed its talks with employees at Kirkby, where the company has identified ways to improve efficiency.
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“We’ve completed the consultation with the staff at Kirkby and agreed a level of reductions that will amount to 25 [jobs],” Allen said.
The restructuring and cuts at Kirkby are the latest in a line of similar moves at Dairy Crest in the last 18 months.
In December, Dairy Crest said it would close the milk bottling operations at its Fenstanton dairy in Cambridgeshire. A site in Nottingham has been closed, while jobs have been lost at Dairy Crest’s HQ in Surrey.
The company has upped its spending behind its portfolio of five “key” brands, including Frijj milkshakes, Clover butter and Cathedral City cheese.
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By GlobalDataToday, Dairy Crest said the brands had performed “strongly” against “very tough prior-year comparatives”.
“Over recent years we have driven consistent growth in these brands and continue to outperform the market,” the company said.
The group said annual profits would be higher than the year before as lower costs buoy its dairies division.
Dairy Crest is set to issue its preliminary results on 18 May.
