Meat processing firm invests £8m in Ashton facility

Tulip has completed an £8m investment at its abbatoir in Ashton, Greater Manchester, which will improve productivity, efficiency, and operations.

The company says it will also support Tulip’s higher welfare strategy in the UK market for the coming years.

The sitse, which employs around 600 staff, mainly handles outdoor-bred pigs, from RSPCA-assured farms.

Earlier this year, Tulip partnered with the Co-op as they switched to a 100% outdoor-bred pork supply chain, offering total traceability from farm to fork.

Kurt Pedersen, abattoir and de-boning operations director for Tulip, said: “Tulip, with the support of parent company Danish Crown, has invested heavily in consolidating its position as the UK’s leading higher welfare pig producer, having last year acquired the Easey Holdings pig farming operation.

“To support the increased volume of outdoor-bred livestock coming through the supply chain, we have implemented some major upgrades which will help us to increase efficiency, reduce complexity and allow us to link strategically with key customers who are looking to meet consumer demand for higher welfare pork-based products.”

Catherine Gormley, site director at Tulip Ashton, said: “It’s a time of positive change for the Ashton site.

“The rejuvenation of our facilities and infrastructure will help us to meet the needs of customers going forward and ensure our processes are as efficient as possible.”

She added: “Animal welfare and provenance is a key priority for us, and the upgrades will mean we continue to have the best practices in place, while also allowing us to deliver the highest quality of product possible.

“In addition, our workforce is delighted at the news of the investment.

“Improving workplace conditions for our butchers and packing teams will, in turn, help us to retain our workforce and the industry-leading skills we have here at Tulip.”