Shake-up at Cheshire baking group will protect jobs and ensure future
Cheshire-based fourth-generation family baking business, Roberts, has announced a shake-up of the business which it said will guarantee all existing jobs and provide security for the future.
It will relocate its Little Treats biscuit manufacturing business to a new site in Cheshire and start work on a significant rebuild of two other bakeries at its Northwich HQ.
The move is the most important operational overhaul in decades by the fourth largest baker in the UK, which secured an £18m cash injection last year.
The Little Treats business will move to Winsford, four miles from Northwich, creating a Centre of Excellence for biscuit production.
Existing plant equipment will be moved across to the new site and installation of a new robotic capability will be fast-tracked in line with the firm’s ambitions.
The building will also provide storage capacity for finished products and raw materials.
The decision to move Little Treats production to Winsford will help Roberts maximise control of the remaining bakery plants in Rudheath, Northwich, improve operational layout and create a Centre of Excellence for bread in Northwich.
A second bakery site in Cheshire further supports the Roberts brand repositioning in February which saw it celebrating its regional roots and expertise.
The Ilkeston site, in Derbyshire, will continue to focus on artisan and specialised bread products and also become a Centre for Excellence for speciality breads.
The decision is expected to ensure job security for all employees across the three sites and deliver a positive future for the business.
Managing director, Bill Thurston, said: “This is a significant investment plan which will allow us to rebuild and revitalise the company and make sure it is fit for the future.
“The business has shown terrific resilience in recent months and we are indebted to the Roberts family, financial backers, key stakeholders, and our people who believe in this brand. Now is the time for a new chapter in our 130-year history.”
Roberts has a turnover in excess of £90m, employing more than 730 staff, and serves a mix of national branded retail, own-label, food-to-go and food service customers.
