Newport bakery closes with 161 job losses
A bakery in Newport reported its intention to close with the loss of 161 jobs last month (January 27), after its owner said market conditions meant the business was no longer viable.
Avana Bakeries ceased general production, with a handful of staff expected to stay on to work on the specialised cake division, according to its owner Food Utopia.
The factory was “lossmaking” and “financially unsustainable”, Food Utopia said.
The former 2 Sisters Food Group site had suffered repeated job losses following the loss of a major contract with Marks & Spencer in 2014.
Food Utopia bought the site later the same year. John James, organising regional secretary at the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union, confirmed to FoodManufacture.co.uk that 161 workers had been made redundant.