Cereal Partners Worldwide, the breakfast-cereal venture between Nestlé and General Mills, is considering the closure of a factory in the UK.
The company said a “significant decline” in breakfast cereal sales in the UK and Ireland had put the future of the site in Bromborough in jeopardy.
A Cereal Partners Worldwide spokesperson said the proposal could place 314 roles at risk of redundancy at the factory in north-west England.
The factory, which has run for more than 30 years, produces branded cereals such as Cheerios and supermarket own-label products.
Under the plans out for consultation, Cereal Partners Worldwide would move the production of the branded cereals to a facility in Wiltshire in south-west England.
The company said it would invest £74m ($96.1m) at the factory in Staverton and create around 60 new jobs.
Cereal Partners Worldwide is also proposing ending its production of supermarket-branded cereals once contracts come to an end.
“These proposals would adjust Cereal Partners United Kingdom and Ireland’s manufacturing footprint to better match demand and simplify our portfolio to focus investment on our branded cereals,” the spokesperson said. “Sales of breakfast cereal are in significant decline owing to the changing habits of UK and Irish consumers and greater competition from alternative breakfast options.”
The spokesperson said Cereal Partners Worldwide is open to “alternative solutions”, including a potential “sale of the Bromborough site and/or the supermarket branded cereal manufacturing” itself.
Commenting on the proposals, Matt Denton, a regional organiser at trade union GMB, said: “Three hundred skilled workers facing an uncertain future is simply unacceptable. GMB will fight to protect jobs, secure fair treatment for workers and explore all potential options to mitigate the impact of this closure.
“We demand urgent talks with management and call on the company to engage with us to make sure workers’ voices are heard, and livelihoods are prioritised.”
