A Hovis production facility in Hampshire, which was due to close in June, could continue to operate until the end of the year.

The Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) told The Southern Daily Echo that remaining staff at the site in Eastleigh are currently working on a skeleton day shift.

Steve Finn, regional office for the BFAWU, told British Baker that, currently, up to 10 employees could be working as long as until the end of the year at the Hovis manufacturing operation.

He added that the reasoning behind the skeleton shift was due to “operational difficulties and customer service levels on the south coast”.

A spokesperson from Premier Foods, which looks after the Hovis brand, would not confirm how long employees at the Eastleigh site would continue to work for, but said the facility did not close in June due to “fluctuations in capacity from other sites”, adding that the consultation was “going to plan”.

The firm announced the move to close its Hovis Eastleigh facility back in February, stating that 82 employees would be made redundant as part of the move. Premier Foods said its Hovis distribution centre, also based in Eastleigh and currently employing 90 people, would be unaffected by the proposal.