2 Sisters Food Group is lining up job cuts at a UK ready-meals factory under a restructuring exercise.
The private-label poultry supplier to major UK supermarkets declined to provide the finer details on the plans at the Rogerstone site in Newport in south Wales, a plant operated by its RF Brookes business.
Manufacturing chilled own-label ready meals in varieties such as Indian, Italian and British, the Rogerstone facility employs 1,600 staff, according to 2 Sisters’ website.
When contacted by Just Food, a spokesperson for 2 Sisters would only say: “Having invested c.£20m [$26.8m] in the business we are proposing a minor restructure to drive efficiencies. These proposals impact around 5% of the workforce.”
Based on those calculations, the planned job cuts would amount to 80 workers.
The spokesperson for 2 Sisters, which is owned by billionaire businessman Ranjit Singh Boparan, said the company would not comment on “speculation” centred around a report by the South Wales Argus.
That publication reported staff at Rogerstone had told the newspaper – based on meetings with management – that consultations with workers were underway.
It suggested the site was ‘in the red’ due to rising costs impacting ready meals orders, although the South Wales Argus added the employees had requested anonymity.
Wales was also hit in 2023 when 2 Sisters took the decision to close its poultry factory in Llangefni, on Anglesey.
Elsewhere in the Boparan empire, the businessman struck a deal earlier this year in Germany, acquiring Heidemark for an undisclosed sum through his investment vehicle, Boparan Private Office (BPO).
Heidemark, a family-owned turkey and chicken processor based in Ahlhorn, Lower Saxony, was to become part of Storteboom Food Group, which is also owned by BPO.
In other deals, Boparan rescued UK-based Roberts Bakery last year from the risk of going into administration, again through the investment vehicle.
BPO was also involved in the transaction for another Welsh business, Brace’s Bakery in June.
Meanwhile, 2 Sisters reported a turnover last year of £2.38bn, up 8.5% in terms of continuing operations. Profit before tax climbed to £108.3m from £72.8m.
