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Pilgrim’s Food Masters Announces Up To 260 Job Cuts

By Nithya Bose in Business News, posted March 21, 2024

Pilgrim's Food Masters has revealed plans to eliminate nearly 260 positions at its factory in West London.

The company manufactures supermarket-ready meals for brands such as Waitrose, Aldi, and Morrisons.

This decision comes closely on the heels of the company's previous closure of another facility in Southall, Collett Way, last year, affecting 220 employees.

Pilgrim’s operates three factories in Southall, with the Dean Way site facing potential closure after a consultation process on redundancies.

Acquired from Kerry Group in 2021, Pilgrim’s Food Masters has owned the Noon Products business for about three years.

The Southall sites primarily produce Indian ready meals under the Noon brand.

The GMB union, representing Pilgrim’s staff, said it “will fight tooth and nail” for the Dean Way site workers.

Gavin Davies, GMB senior organiser, said: "GMB has serious concerns about how this will impact on our members and the local community with the job losses.

“With the previous closure of Colette Way, a further closure to Dean Way has come as a massive blow to our members.

“GMB will fight tooth and nail for workers to be paid every penny they are due.”

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Pilgrim’s Food Masters is a subsidiary of Pilgrim’s Pride, an American conglomerate reporting profits exceeding $500 million in 2023.

It is owned by JBS Foods, the world’s largest food company with billions in profits.

The proposed job cuts have been attributed to ongoing industry challenges and reduced market volumes, necessitating a reevaluation of business operations to ensure sustainability and protect remaining jobs.

The company plans to consolidate its ready meal production to other locations, namely Attleborough and Windmill Lane, leading to the unfortunate prospect of the Dean Way factory’s closure.

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