Young's seafood plants locations. (Photo: Stock File/FIS)

Young's extends consultation period in hopes of saving seafood supplier

The 90-day consultation on the fate of Cromer Crab Company has been extended by its owner Young’s Seafood Ltd.

The consultation, launched in September in an attempt to find a solution to keep the Holt Road factory from shutting down, was supposed to end this week.

But Young’s is hoping the extension will lead to a brighter future for the Holt Road plant, perhaps partly by incorporating more “volume into the factory” and integrating customer contracts.

Since September, 70 people have lost their jobs. However, bosses decided to make no compulsory redundancies after many staff volunteered to leave, Norfolk Eastern Daily Press reports.

“The consultation continues and we are working hard to pursue potential options including the possibility of an interested buyer for the site and ways to draw more volume into the factory,” Pete Ward, COO at Young’s, said. “Our staff in Cromer continues to work in a committed and professional way and has ensured the site successfully delivered the produced products for the festive period.”

Young’s has also started formal discussions with staff over the outlook for three seafood factories it took over in early December.

The former Cumbrian Seafoods sites in Whitehaven, Seaham and Amble went into administration at that time, on 5 December, but were quickly taken over by Lion Capital, Young’s owner.

Still, bosses now want to restructure the Cumbrian plants and thereby possibly slash 555 jobs -- up to 363 jobs in Seaham, 112 in Whitehaven and 80 in Amble.

"This move does not reflect on the committed and skilled teams in Seaham, Whitehaven and Amble, who are continuing to work hard through this time, which is a huge credit to the whole workforce,” Ward assured, BBC reports.

"However, it is clear from the fact that the business went into administration that the current business model is not viable. We continue to be focused on fulfilling customer contracts and talking, in detail, with the employees about options for the future," he added.

Young’s said it is “too soon” to tell how the actions in Cumbria will affect Cromer site.

Cumbrian began struggling as a result of rising raw material costs and reduced activity. It produces a range of fresh fish, shellfish, coated and added-value seafood items to the UK's leading retailers under the Perfect Catch and Ocean Pure brands.

Related article:

- Cumbrian Seafoods, Border Laird sold to Lion Capital

By Natalia Real
[email protected]
www.seafood.media

Address:	Ross House, Wickham Road
City:	Grimsby
State/ZIP:	England (DN31 3SW)
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