Stockton Warburtons Bakery Stops Making Bread

Staff at the Warburtons factory in Stockton, UK, were told 33 workers out of the 129 people employed there are at risk of compulsory redundancy, as the company has decided to stop bread production at the facility, according to the local press.

Declining bread sales nationally means the Stockton bakery will stop making bread. Crumpets will still be made, however. This means about a quarter of the Stockton workforce are set to lose their jobs.

A statement from Warburtons to Teesside Live said, “As a result of an increasingly challenging retail market and falling bread volumes, we have taken the difficult decision to enter into a 30-day consultation that could impact a number of jobs at our Stockton bakery.

“No decision will be made until the thorough consultation is completed and we are supporting everyone affected at this very difficult time.”

Warburtons is the largest family-owned bakery business in the UK, employing about 4,500 people across 12 bakeries and 14 depots across the UK. More than a quarter of all bakery products consumed in the UK is produced by Warburtons.