The facility, which has been operational for 114 years, is the oldest such site in the UK and its closure would put 104 jobs at risk.
Located near Great Yarmouth, the factory could end production as early as February 2027 – a decision that has been heavily criticised by the NFU, with the organisation saying it was “extremely disappointed” in a statement issued to the press.
British Sugar, the UK’s largest sugar supplier, revealed its plans earlier this week, saying the decision was made to “improve efficiency and support the long-term future” of the UK sugar industry.
Norfolk County Council is now set to step in to offer redundancy support to affected workers, helping them access the jobs market and providing advice on available benefits and training opportunities.
Help with updating CVs, job applications and interview skills will also be made available.
Kabeer Kher, cabinet member for business, skills and agriculture at Norfolk County Council, said: “The news about the closure of the Cantley production plant will be a terrible blow to the workforce.
“We know that losing a job, or facing the prospect of redundancy, can be incredibly challenging, and our redundancy support service can be quickly deployed and work with partner organisations to help people in this situation take their next steps with confidence.”
British Sugar has said that a consultation will be held on the proposals, focusing on its beet-processing operations at Wissington in west Norfolk, Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk and Newark, Nottinghamshire.
The firm added that all jobs at Cantley could be affected, with discussions due to begin with Unite the Union and other employee representatives.
Operational since 1912, Cantley was the UK’s first sugar beet processing factory. Just last year, it benefited from an £11 million upgrade aimed at improving energy efficiency.
According to local Conservative MP Jerome Mayhew, who described the news as “devastating”, British Sugar told him the site had been loss-making for the past three years, with long-term sugar demand declining.
In a statement, the company said it was inviting “all Cantley growers… to continue growing sugar beet for the 2027/28 campaign and beyond”.
Responding to the British Sugar consultation, NFU Sugar board chair Kit Papworth said:
“While we are pleased with British Sugar’s commitment that no growers will be financially disadvantaged for the 2027/28 crop, we are calling for this to be made permanent, to give affected growers the confidence to invest for the long-term future of the sector.
“Growers supplying Cantley have supported the industry for decades and will rightly be very concerned about the proposed closure and potential impact on their farming businesses.”
He continued: “NFU Sugar is also very concerned this factory closure means British Sugar will reduce its commitment to domestically grown sugar beet. As we have long argued, imported sugar may be produced in ways that are illegal in the UK.
“This is a critical moment for the future of UK sugar beet. Growers need certainty. NFU Sugar is therefore seeking a public commitment from British Sugar that UK-grown sugar beet is not displaced by imported beet or cane sugar.”
