Bernard Matthews Foods to Shut Derby Processing Plant by End of 2026

Bernard Matthews Foods disclosed that its Derby processing facility on Shaftesbury Street will be closed by the end of 2026, a move driven by sustained financial deficits. Company officials said the choice was made after discussions with employees and union leaders and reflects broader external pressures, including Brexit, Covid-19 and conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East that have disrupted the site’s supply chain.

The firm pledged to assist displaced workers through possible redeployment within the wider business and collaboration with local organisations to explore new employment opportunities. The closure comes two years after the firm announced the shutdown of its plant at the Great Witchingham headquarters in Norfolk, where the brand’s founder built his empire. Bernard Matthews, who rose to fame in the 1960s as Europe’s largest turkey farmer, died in 2010. Trade union Unite has been approached for comment.