The Bernard Matthews facility situated on Shaftesbury Street in Derby is set to close by the end of 2026. This announcement comes on the heels of a completed collective consultation involving both employees and union representatives, according to a spokesperson for the company who spoke with Food Manufacture.
The decision to shut down is primarily attributed to ongoing financial deficits that, coupled with current market volatility, became too detrimental for the operation to sustain. “This decision follows continued significant financial losses, alongside a range of external economic challenges and the geopolitical environment, including Brexit, Covid, and conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, which have all contributed to significantly impacting the site and its supply chain,” the spokesperson clarified.
The turkey processing facility currently employs approximately 600 individuals. A company representative indicated that the organization intends to assist affected employees by offering “potential redeployment opportunities across the wider business and engagement with local organisations to explore alternative employment options.”
Additionally, the representative emphasized the pressing need for action from the UK Government to tackle the vulnerability of the nation’s food system. “We are a proud British food business committed to providing quality, affordable food that’s better for people and the planet. For the past two years, we have urged the Government to take urgent action to support the UK’s fragile food supply chain,” they remarked.
Furthermore, the representative noted, “Farmers and food producers face rising costs and increasing complexity, which are restricting growth, driving food inflation and undermining the UK’s food security.”
They concluded with a warning: “Without targeted Government action on supply chain resilience, planning, and taxation, we fear more farms and food manufacturing sites will close, increasing the UK’s reliance on lower-quality imports and weakening food and national security.”