Only 15% of production affected by Warburtons blaze
Speaking to FoodManufacture.co.uk this morning (Monday August 2), a spokeswoman said it was too early to say when production would re-start at the bakery, but added: “In the short-term we are meeting customer orders from our other bakeries.
"But we think that long-term, only about 15% of the production capacity has been impacted by the fire.”
One fire engine remained at the site on Friday night to “dampen down and check” the site, which is next to the company’s head office, she said. “All our people at the bakery and the head office are at work as usual.”
Production staff were helping with the clean-up operation or working in the despatch area, she said.
How or why the fire started has not yet been established, she said.
10 fire engines called to blaze
Ten fire engines from stations across Manchester were called to the bakery at 2.50pm on Thursday to deal with the blaze, which is believed to have started in an industrial oven, a spokesman for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue told FoodManufacture.co.uk on Friday afternoon.
“We’ve still got one fire engine in attendance, but the fire has been brought down.”
It was a “pretty serious fire” he added. “We had 10 fire engines there at the peak, so it was a large incident.”
A planned £25m redevelopment at the site that was due to be commissioned from September 2011 would still go ahead, said Warburtons. However, the timetable might change.
Spate of fires
The incident follows devastating fires at Dearne Valley Foods and Wessex Foods this month.
