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CHINESE CHILLED MEALS FACTORY CLOSURE SHOCKS GRIMSBY
GRIMSBY is pulling out all the stops to try to find a replacement food producer to take over the Kwoks Oriental meals factory following the shock closure of the company a few weeks ago.
It is an extremely modern plant geared up for chilled food production, situated on the modern Europarc business zone and at the centre of the town's food hub. However, there is optimism that a new tenant will be found in the next few months.
The Kwoks closure, with the loss of some 180 jobs came right out of the blue. The parent company, Hull based William Jackson Ltd, disclosed that the plant had lost over £5-million in the past three years and then came the news that its main customer, the supermarket giant Asda was planning to pull at least part of the contract.
A spokeswoman for William Jackson stressed that every effort had been made to shore up the heavy financial drain without success. She said: ”We looked at every avenue to save the business, including trying to find another Chinese meals buyer, but there were no takers. The spokeswoman added: “We are a family owned company and have offered enhanced redundancy terms as well as one-to-one interviews with the staff. “I want to stress that this was purely a commercial business decision and is no reflection on the professionalism of the staff, which was excellent, or the quality of product. We had put a lot of money into this business to make it a commercial success over the last few years."
The factory was opened in 2000 by two young entrepreneurs, Paul Kwok and Wayne Rowlatt (who left the company a few years ago), who had wanted to produce restaurant quality Chinese meals for the supermarket shelves. The business started out as a dream in an ordinary domestic kitchen little more than a decade ago.
The two men came up with the idea of producing quality Chinese meals for the mass market. They then took their ideas and recipes to Food Town Grimsby and the leaders of the day were duly impressed.
Helped by the Grimsby Food Town initiative, they opened a small plant employing just 20 people. But faced with the problem of finding enough capital to expand, they turned to William Jackson of Hull, which also owns the iconic Aunt Bessie Yorkshire Puddings business, for the cash. The factory more than doubled in size and at its production peak was employing over 250 people.
This is the third Grimsby food site to close in less than a year. First Icelandic owned Bakkovar shut with the loss over 500 jobs, which was followed by the demise of the Soya Magic soya milk plant, both on Europarc. And there have been redundancies at other food firms around town.
Councillor Geoff Lowis, portfolio holder for regeneration on North East Lincolnshire Council, said the Kwoks decision was a tragedy for the town and for the people who had lost their jobs. The news was a big shock to them and it is going to be a big loss to the town and to the employees of Kwoks.
Councillor Steve Norton, shadow Conservative spokesman on regeneration, and who, as chairman of Economic Development was in at the birth of Kwoks, said: “I am personally very sorry because of the people who started the business and those who worked there. It also demonstrates the dangers of firms being dependent on one major customer.The other tragedy is that this will affect several families, as it is highly likely that members of the same family will have been working there.
He added: “If we go out and market Grimsby Food Town strongly I am sure we can succeed. It still has an excellent reputation as a quality food producer, so I shall be making every effort to ensure we go out and find other companies to come here.”
YOUNG'S LAUNCHES FIRST MICROWAVE FISH FINGER
FISH and the microwave have not always been the best of 'room mates'.. But now Grimsby-based Young's Seafood is changing all that by the unveiling of the world's first microwaveable fish finger which has given this enduring seafood product a real boost.
Then two weeks later it launched the country's first microwave cook-in-the-bag fish range..
Until now fish fingers cooked at home either had to be grilled or fried because they turned soggy in the microwave. Using new technology, the new Young's Micro Fish Finger can be cooked perfectly in the micro oven in just three minutes. They are expected to be trialled in the shops over the next few weeks, selling at 99p for four. It is designed to catch the youth market and busy mothers who want fish in a hurry.
Charlotte Broughton of Young's said: "The fish finger has been a traditional staple of frozen seafood for more than 50 years but it is also a category long overdue for some new thinking." The Micro version is a natural next step because it optimises all the obvious potential for fish fingers to compete in the market for nutritious quick snacks.
The company said its work on the reinvigoration of fish fingers had helped fuel a seven per cent market growth in sales. The UK fish finger market is worth over £130 million a year. Young's is promising further innovations in the UK fish finger market over the next few months.
Meanwhile, the new Young's cook in the bag range has a two-way option because it can also be baked in the oven. The range includes four different varieties of fish fillets - wild pink salmon in garlic and herb butter, haddock with lemon and herb butter, cod with sun dried tomato and basil butter and smoked salmon with wholegrain mustard butter.
FISH SMOKERS WAIT IN ANTICIPATION
A GROUP of Grimsby fish smokers are hoping to hear soon if Grimsby's traditional fish smoked products have received the same European protection as French Champagne or Melton Mowbray pork pies.
They have applied for their products to obtain Protected Geographical Indication - or PGI - status. If approved, it would mean a fish produced in the time honoured way could only be called 'Traditional Grimsby Smoked Fish'. PGI came into its own after French complaints that some countries were passing off their own sparkling white wine as genuine Champagne.
The Grimsby smokers are now nearing the end of a six-month consultation period, during which time interested parties from outside the UK have been able to comment on or object to the application. Traditional Grimsby Smoked Fish is defined as fillets of cod and haddock, weighing between 200 and 700 grams, which have been cold smoked in accordance with the traditional method within the defined geographical area and using a fire with sawdust.
The application, by the Traditional Grimsby Fish Smoker's Group, says: "Across the UK the town of Grimsby is synonymous with the processing of fish. The port and town regard it as a matter of pride that for over a century the many fish merchants have been able to supply most types of fish to anywhere in the country and more recently into Europe." The Guild of Fine Food Retailers has recognised this commitment to quality by giving awards to Grimsby's unique seafood product.
Vince McDonagh - Regular Contributor to Frozen & Chilled Foods magazine