Coronavirus: Rich Products the latest to consult over redundancies

By Michelle Perrett

- Last updated on GMT

Rich's said the closure of coffee shops and cafe venues had impacted its business.
Rich's said the closure of coffee shops and cafe venues had impacted its business.
Foodservice and retail bakery supplier Rich Products is the latest food supplier to confirm jobs are at risk.

It has revealed that 100 jobs at its site in Andover are at risk due to the impact of the coronavirus and the closure of coffee shops and cafe outlets. 

Prepared meals food manufacturer Bakkavor has confirmed that just over 500 jobs could be under threat​ at its salad factory in Spalding, Lincolnshire. It said its salad business had been under pressure and had also been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.  

‘Dramatically affected’ 

Rich’s said that its market had been “dramatically affected” due to the closure of coffee shops and café outlets. 

It confirmed that it had entered a 45-day collective consultation with staff at its Andover site. 

The company said it must ensure its workforce was the right size for its current business and was therefore restructuring across all functions. 

It added that the restructure also completed the planned consolidation of its workforce, which began with the move from three manufacturing sites​ to its Andover hub in 2019. 

Consultation 

A spokesman said: “We can confirm that Rich’s has entered a 45-day collective consultation with associates at our Andover site over proposals which place 100 roles at risk of redundancy.

“While bakery sales across the grocery and out-of-home market are beginning to rebuild, the sector has been dramatically affected by Covid-19, particularly with the closure of coffee shops and café outlets.” 

Our long-term UK growth ambitions for Rich’s remain in place. We have already adapted our product range to meet new consumer needs as a result of the coronavirus and are currently holding positive conversations with customers to plan for the second half of this year.”

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