Over 1,000 jobs secured as food giant promises ‘sustainable future’ for bakery

The future of over 1,000 jobs at an East Midlands bakery has been secured after its owner said it has secured long-term contracts with its clients.

Food giant 2 Sisters said that its Gunstones Bakery in Dronfield, Derbyshire now has “a strong platform on which to build a sustainable future” after securing the commitments from its customers.

In 2016, jobs at the bakery were put at risk after it lost a contract to supply Marks & Spencer.

Meanwhile, 2 Sisters’ plans to sell its Matthew Walker Christmas pudding business have been confirmed by the company. Reports emerged earlier this month that the world’s oldest Christmas pudding maker was set to be offloaded for £80m.

Ronald Kers, chief executive, said: “The good news from Gunstones bakery is great for everyone following delivery of a fantastic product over the Easter period. After a very challenging few years, there is now a strong foundation for future growth, although there is still some work to be done to make the site more efficient and to get more volume for the business.

“We have been clear for some time now that we will realise the value of our businesses to improve our balance sheet only if it is strategically right for us to do so. It is quite natural to get this kind of speculation and, although we do not normally comment, we are in the early stages of a sale process for Matthew Walker and anticipate strong international interest. However, we will only sell at the right time and for the right value and our colleagues would be the first to know if this were to happen.”

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