Vinegar works set to close

All nine staff at UNIQfoods, Wheatley Lane Road, Barrowford, still best known locally by its former name Hammond vinegar works, will be made redundant when the plant closes, probably in the summer.

They will be offered alternative jobs at the company's head offices and main production site in Littleborough, near Rochdale.

UNIQfoods only took over the Barrowford site 12 months ago after several changes of ownership in recent years.

The company is also closing its much larger Bradford site with the loss of 160 jobs and concentrating production at Littleborough where 80 new posts will be created.

Company press spokesman Toni Hensby said: "One of the main reasons for closing the sites is to concentrate on our core business of sauce and dressings manufacture. We're coming out of vinegar manufacture."

Managing director, Martin Sharman, added: "Job losses are always regrettable. However, in order to operate successfully in a highly competitive market it is necessary to consolidate production at one site."

He added: "We are currently in the process of discussing details with our employees and their representatives and the company will be making every effort to ensure that everyone is given assistance, guidance and practical help in securing alternative employment."

The job losses at Barrowford were incorrectly reported on television news as 90 rather than nine.

Tony Dixon, chairman of Barrowford Parish Council, said: "It's always sad when people lose their livelihoods and I hope they get other jobs very quickly."

The Barrowford site has been producing vinegar since 1966 but before that it brewed beer back to the 1800s. It operated under the Hammonds name for many years before, in 1991, being taken over by food giant Dalgety. It later operated under the name Fisher Quality Foods before UNIQfoods took over.

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