Bakkavor: Sutton Bridge and Leicester factories set to close

Bakkavor Salads in Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire, currently employs 446 people

A food producer is set to close manufacturing sites in Lincolnshire and Leicestershire, putting 900 jobs at risk.

Bakkavor said it was proposing to close Bakkavor Salads in Sutton Bridge and Bakkavor Desserts in Leicester, with about 450 working at each factory.

The firm said it had been forced to make "decisive action" to meet the "challenging macro-economic backdrop".

Unite union said it would try to ensure "redundancies are kept to a minimum".

A 45-day consultation period with affected employees would now begin, Bakkavor added.

In total, the firm has about 15,800 workers across 29 UK locations.

Its products, including meals, soups, dips, salads, desserts, pizzas and breads, are stocked by supermarkets including Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's and Waitrose, according to its website.

It said the decision followed a "detailed review" of its UK bases, with the "significant level of inflation and consumer headwinds expected to persist into next year".

Bakkavor Desserts in Leicester is located next to the M1 motorway

"Our other UK sites have the capacity and capabilities to continue to fully service our customers should these proposals go ahead," a spokesperson for the business said.

Mike Edwards, Bakkavor chief executive officer, said the company would do "everything we can to support our people through this difficult time".

"As with businesses all over the UK, we are having to take decisive action to adapt to the challenging macro-economic backdrop," he said.

"The decision to close any site is never taken lightly, and we do not underestimate the impact of this announcement on our colleagues and the local communities within which we operate."

Unite regional officer Ravinder Assi said: "Unite will be providing support to our members at the impacted Bakkavor sites in light of these plans.

"We will be liaising with the company to ensure that redundancies are kept to a minimum and alternative employment offered at other sites where possible."