Eighty jobs threatened at cheese-packing plant

About 80 jobs at a cheese packing plant in North Yorkshire have been put at risk after its owner confirmed it planned to close the site and move its operations to the Midlands.

Saputo Dairy UK (SDUK) said it intended to shut its Wensleydale Creamery plant in Kirkby Malzeard and relocate the work carried out there to Nuneaton.

Employees at the facility would be consulted before any final decision was made, and cheese would continue to be be manufactured at its main plant at Hawes, according to an SDUK statement.

Julian Smith, Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon, said he was "deeply concerned" by the plans, while local Lib Dem councillor Felicity Cunliffe-Lister said it was a "terrible blow".

Cheese making has taken place in the village, near Ripon, since the early 20th Century when a group of local farmers opened a dairy there.

In 2012, it was announced that cheesemaking would stop at the Kirkby Malzeard plant, and the factory would instead be used for blending, order packing and dispatching.

In 2021, Canadian food group Saputo bought Wensleydale Dairy Products, including the Kirkby Malzeard plant, in a £23m deal.

In its statement, SDUK said it was "consulting with employees at its product packing facility in Kirkby Malzeard regarding the proposal to relocate most of the cheese packing operations to our existing facility in Nuneaton, where we have recently completed a major investment".

If the proposal went ahead, "the facility in Kirkby Malzeard will be closed and new roles will be created in Nuneaton", it said.

"At this stage, no decisions have been made and employee consultation on this proposal will begin shortly."

The company said it remained committed to making cheese at Wensleydale Creamery's main plant at Hawes, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"Both the Wensleydale Creamery and our on-site visitor centre will continue to operate as usual. This proposal has no impact on our supplying farms," the SDUK statement said.

Relocating its operations to the West Midlands was "right for the long-term future of the business as we maintain our efforts to pursue further efficiencies, reduce costs and manufacture products of the highest quality", it added.

The firm would "ensure the support of all employees who may be affected by these proposed changes", a spokesperson said.

Responding, Smith, whose constituency includes Kirkby Malzeard, said: "Closure of the site would be a significant blow to the local community, affecting not only the employees and their families but also the broader local economy.

"The dairy industry has been a key part of Kirkby Malzeard's heritage for nearly a century, and its closure would break this historic link, damaging a proud local tradition and economic stability."

Meanwhile, Cunliffe-Lister, councillor for Masham & Fountains, said there were "two issues of concern" following SDUK's announcement.

"What are the reasons for the decisions and could anything be done to save the jobs?" she asked.

"Also, if the dairy does close, what does the future hold for the site and what's likely to be its next use?"

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