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  • Kensey Foods, a desserts manufacturer in Cornwall’s Launceston, is set to close in July. This will force the loss of more than 600 jobs, as the loss-making company finds it unsustainable to continue.

  • PepsiCo have announced the creation of a new global graduate programme, which is intended to find the big food trends of the future as well as the entrepreneurs who will be pushing them. The ‘Dare To Do More’ campaign is taking applications from around the world.

  • Salads and fillings company Chiltern Foods has just announced that their £1 million investment has allowed them to move into a new facility in Aylesbury. This is part of a plan to tackle the growing demand for healthier choices on menus, which is catered for within the Chiltern product lines.

  • Natures Way Foods have revealed the secrets that allow them to have an accident rate which is 80% lower than the average for the food industry. This extremely impressive statistic can be attributed to a number of initiatives, according to Chief Operating Officer Richard Parr – but largely to the fact that the company puts people first, instead of paperwork.

  • Concerns have once again been raised that the proposed new immigration laws could threaten the workforce available for food production in the UK. The controls are designed to encourage flow of skilled workers into the country, but they could result in a hike for hiring prices and cut access to labour for those members of the workforce who are need for unskilled labour.

  • Trade union Unite is facing a stand-off with Sainsbury’s, after threatening legal action over a long-running contract row which affects 123,000 members of staff at the supermarket chain. The contracts were offered on a ‘sign or be sacked’ basis, which the union complains is unfair to the employees who are unhappy with the new terms on offer.

  • British Bakels, a bakery ingredients supplier, has just announcement a new £10 million investment into a distribution centre. The new site is to be located less than a mile from their Bicester manufacturing site, and will allow the firm to open up more job opportunities at the same time.

  • The Edinburgh Salmon Company has ceased trading, with production scheduled to finish at the end of the year. This is a huge blow for the workforce of 163 permanent staff, who will all be made redundant.

  • Heather Mills is to launch a third processing site for her vegan food brand, VBites. Financial backing from HSBC has ensured that the former model and sportswoman can create 300 new jobs at a Newcastle address.

  • Heck Foods have invested £4 million into their headquarters in North Yorkshire, in a move that is set to create 60 new jobs. The sausage manufacturer is going to increase capacity at their Kirklington site by 25% as a result of the new changes being implemented.

  • The Crawshaw Group has gone into administration, threatening the future of more than 600 jobs with the company. The butchery retail chain posted a statement to the stock exchange listing AIM explaining their current predicament, which includes a failure to raise necessary cash for restructuring

  • A new branch of McDonalds is set to open in Newport, at a newly developed retail park. The fast food restaurant will create 65 jobs due to the scale of the premises.

  • Trade union Unite has spoken out in criticism of Tesco’s recent actions, which have put a large number of jobs at risk. After the supermarket giant terminated a contract with Kerry Foods, there are now up to 1,000 people who will be out of work if there is no replacement found for the order.

  • Whitby Seafoods has announced that they are bringing in 50 new employees, as a result of a major expansion project. The UK’s love of scampi is behind their new extension, which is allowing them to upgrade their processing equipment and open a new line.

  • Bakkavor Bread have announced plans to take on 200 more workers at its sites in Crewe and Nantwich. Driven by interest in their chilled artisan bakery products, they are running a recruitment drive in order to increase their numbers and raise production capacity.

  • Brighter Foods has put together a multi-million-pound investment designed to protect it against Brexit, by boosting the domestic production of their snack bars. In turn, the investment will also offer them the chance to create as much as 50 new positions within the company.

  • Meadow Foods has invested several million pounds into its dairy production site in Peterborough, helping to create a new expansion. They are expecting to open 50 new job opportunities as a direct result. This is a huge step forward for the manufacturer which will allow them to strengthen their dominant market position. It was made possibly by an investment from a private equity firm, which had previously been announced separately.

  • A shortage of vets is causing problems across the food industry, particularly in terms of importing and exporting food through the border. Experts are now warning that if a no-deal Brexit goes ahead, the shortage would increase to the point of leaving food delayed at borders.

  • The Dulcote-based program has now taken on 13 apprentices to kick-start their learning.

  • The Confederation of British Industry found that 30% of the workers in our food and drink industry are migrant workers from the EU – which means the largest manufacturing sector in the UK could be at risk of a shortfall.