Morrisons buys Cheshire meat factory

MORRISONS has acquired a 10,500 sq ft meat processing facility from Vion UK as the supermarket group looks to more tightly control meat products sold in its stores.

The centralised fresh pork and lamb packing plant in Winsford, Cheshire, has the scope to expand into beef production, Bradford-based Morrisons said.

Morrisons said the move would secure more than 300 jobs at the site and was the latest deal to further strengthen its manufacturing capabilities.

Martyn Fletcher, group manufacturing director at Morrisons, said: “Owning the manufacturing sites that produce our fresh food is crucial to Morrisons because it ensures we can control quality and keep down costs for our customers.

“As Morrisons continues to grow, it is important we have the facilities to support us. This facility is a high quality, purpose built meat processing factory and will be an ideal addition to the fantastic manufacturing sites we already own.”

The food retailer already owns a number of bakeries, meat processing facilities and produce packing factories that service its 476 stores.

Morrisons has pledged to invest £200m over a three year period to support the growth of the business.

A team from Yorkshire law firm Gordons advised Morrisons on the deal.