UK-based gluten-free supplier Genius Foods is to shut a domestic plant, based in the eastern English city of Hull.

Genius pointed to “changes in its European business” for the closure of the facility, which it said would affect 68 staff.

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The company, which wants to focus squarely on its brands, said “some customers” in Europe and decided to “offer an own-label product”, adding: “As a consequence, the production volumes in Hull will be sufficiently reduced to make continuing operations at the site unviable.”

The future of operations at the Hull plant looked uncertain earlier this year when Genius announced it would end the manufacturing of “all non-Genius branded lines” by June. Local reports said there would be redundancies at the site but, at the time, the company refused to be drawn on the claims, pointing to the start of consultation.

In a statement yesterday (10 August), chief executive Jeremy Bradley said: “We fully understand the shock and disappointment of this announcement for all of our employees. It has been necessary to respond to the change in activity at Hull and the priority of the entire Genius team is to do everything possible in the coming weeks and months to support the hard working and dedicated employees at the site.”

Genius, meanwhile, said it now plans to stop manufacturing own-label products by the end of the year.

The company said it will in supply its export customers from its production site in the town of Bathgate in Scotland, where 27 jobs will be created.

Genius’ fresh bakery output will be done at Bathgate. A site in the English town of Scunthorpe will continue to produce frozen products.