Falling pizza sales have prompted frozen food giant McCain Foods to stop producing pizzas in the UK, with the potential loss of around 40 jobs.
The company produces McCain Pizza Fingers Cheese & Tomato for retail trade as well as pizza products made for the foodservice market at a facility in Cayton in Scarborough.
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McCain said it will convert production in Cayton from baking and topping pizzas to baking potatoes.
“Despite best endeavours to grow our pizza business over recent years, we continue to experience declining volumes and demand in an increasingly competitive market place. As a result of this trend, the in-house manufacture of pizza is no longer financially viable and as such we propose, subject to consultation, to withdraw from in-house pizza production,” McCain manufacturing director Alan Bridges told just-food today (7 June).
Bridges said the decision to shift production at the site to McCain’s recently introduced ready baked jacket potatoes was the result of “strong demand” for the product.
“Demand for our new ready baked jacket potatoes is growing, so we want to move quickly and seize the opportunities that presents for growth,” he said.
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By GlobalDataMcCain already produces ready-baked jacket potatoes at one facility in the West Midlands.
The move, the company said, spells “significant financial investment” in the facility.
“The scale of work required means decommissioning the current unit and extensive installation of new equipment in this part of the site,” Bridges said.
“As a result, we have met with employees and made preparations for a period of consultation because, regrettably, up to 40 jobs may be at risk of redundancy. The exact number will become clearer once the consultation takes place and all options for suitable alternative employment have been fully explored.”
