Jobs at risk as plans to close Herefordshire factory announced
Ornua Ingredients Europe has announced a proposal to close its cheese manufacturing and formatting operation in Ledbury.
The Dymock Road site in the Herefordshire town produces formatted natural and processed cheeses for the food manufacturing, foodservice and fast-food sectors. The site is also home to Ornua Ingredients Europe’s centre of excellence for innovation, where the product development team has a full pilot plant and test kitchen facilities, according to Ornua Ingredients Europe.
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The company said the proposal to close the facility comes after a comprehensive strategic review of its manufacturing footprint.
“Ledbury’s processing capacity is under-utilised, and the facility requires significant capital investment to maintain production moving forward,” a statement said.
“It is anticipated that if the proposal goes ahead, production will cease in Ledbury no later than the end of June 2025.”
The majority of production will be transferred to the company’s sites in Nantwich, Cheshire and Ávila, Spain.
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A statutory 45-day consultation period with around 115 employees potentially affected by the proposal will now start, the company confirmed.
“The closure proposal has been carefully considered and is not a reflection of the hard work, dedication and commitment of everyone employed at Ledbury,” the statement said.
“The proposed closure will not impact other OIE sites or the Ornua Foods site in Leek, Staffordshire.”