An iconic cereal brand could close its factory, which has been in operation for 86 years and is described as “part of the fabric of the city”.
Kellogg's factory in Trafford Park, Greater Manchester, is at risk of closure, with hundreds of workers potentially losing their jobs.
Kelanova, Kellogg's American owner, said the facility's “long-term future is not foreseeable at this time.”
The factory, which opened in 1938, produces about 1 million boxes of cereals such as Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies and Coco Pops.
However, the proposed closure plan is expected to see the final batch of cereal leave the factory permanently by 2026, potentially putting 360 workers out of work.
Councilor Andrew Western said closing the factory would be a “devastating loss to the people of Stretford and Urmston” and said he hoped the owners would reconsider closing the factory.
Keranova's managing director, Chris Silcock, justified the proposal to close the factory because of its aging layout.
He said that while factory floor plans “made sense in the 1930s,” changes in industrial design “make such a factory layout impossible today.”
“Furthermore, we are only using half of the space in the building and the investment required to maintain the factory in the coming years is simply not viable,” he added.
Keranova has started formal discussions with factory staff and union representatives from Usdaw (Shops, Distribution and Allied Workers Union).
The brand's cereal factory in Wrexham and its St Helens distribution center are unaffected, the company said.
Usdaw district organizer Mick Murray said: “This is shocking news for our staff to hear that Kellogg's manufacturing site in Manchester is being considered for closure.
“Usdaw will now enter into meaningful discussions with the company, in which we will interrogate their business case and seek the best possible outcome for staff affected by the proposed closure.
“We are providing support, advice and representation to our members during this difficult time.”
Kellogg's Corn Flakes and All Bran were first introduced to the British public in 1922, initially imported from the United States and later from Canada.
The cereal brand opened its first UK factory on May 24, 1938 in Trafford Park, Manchester.
In 1936, a box of cornflakes cost five and a half pence and more than 50 million bags were sold in Britain at the time.
The company's Manchester factory is Europe's largest cereal factory, producing corn and rice-based products such as Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies (1928), Frosties (1954), Coco Pops (1960) and Crunchy Nuts (1980). .
It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 350 days a year and employs approximately 400 people from the local area.
While 70 million boxes of Cornflakes are produced each year, Manchester also produces a further 39 million boxes of Crunchy Nuts.
Over the past 42 years, more than 70 million kilograms of honey have been used to produce Crunchy Nuts, 1.2 billion peanuts are used each year, and each 500g box contains a whopping 6,000 golden Crunchy Nut flakes. I am.
