Bernard Matthews Foods will close its processing facility on Shaftesbury Street in Derby by the end of 2026, the company announced. The decision follows consultations with employee and union representatives.
A spokesperson for the company stated that the closure is a result of "significant financial losses" compounded by a range of external economic challenges. These include factors such as Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, which have impacted the site and its supply chain. The company indicated it would support affected employees by exploring redeployment opportunities within the wider business and collaborating with local organizations to help find alternative employment.
This development comes two years after Bernard Matthews Foods announced plans to close a plant at its headquarters in Great Witchingham, Norfolk. The company, founded by the entrepreneur Bernard Matthews, rose to prominence in the 1960s, with Matthews becoming the largest turkey farmer in Europe and achieving recognition for products like Turkey Twizzlers. Bernard Matthews died in 2010.