Grimsby: Young's Seafood confirms Marsden Road factory to close

Young's Seafood says it has been unable to find "a viable solution" to keep its Marsden Road site open

More than 200 jobs are expected to go after Young's Seafood confirmed it is to close a factory in Grimsby.

Earlier this summer the firm announced proposals to cease production at its Marsden Road site and move what is left to its Humberstone Road factory, also in Grimsby, and a site in Scotland.

The company said it had been unable to find "a viable solution".

A spokesman told the BBC it expected "more than 200" jobs to go but was unable to give an exact figure.

Young's is Grimsby's largest private employer, with about 1,700 staff

More than 280 jobs were initially put at risk at the site, which employs 297 people.

In a statement, Sofina Foods Europe, which owns Young's Seafood, said: "Following the announcement of a formal consultation with staff and representatives at the Marsden Road site in Grimsby in June this year, it is with regret that we have been unable to find a viable solution to maintain future production at the site.

"As a result, production at the Marsden Road site will be scaled back and then cease in late October 2023.

"The remaining whitefish processing undertaken by Sofina Foods Europe will move to the Humberstone Road site in Grimsby and the smoked processing to our Fraserburgh site in Scotland.

"The closure has been necessary following changes in future demands for products produced at the site and we explored a number of options to maintain operations and to protect roles. Sadly, this has been unsuccessful."

The company said a number of new roles would be created at the Humberstone Road and Fraserburgh sites "to support the transfer".

It said it would "make every effort" to offer alternative opportunities, where possible, to those staff affected.

Speaking to BBC Radio Humberside, Harriet Eisner, regional coordinator at the union Unite, said members were "extremely disappointed" by the announcement.

She added: "It's not realistic for people to relocate from the area up to Scotland.

"A handful of jobs have been saved... but most people will either have to find jobs within the industry elsewhere in Grimsby or they will be unemployed looking for jobs elsewhere altogether."