Ninety-year-old Wigan business Waterfield’s is set to close 11 bakeries in and around the area.
A consultation with staff is set to take place at the family-run firm, which employs around 650 people. The bakery is one of the largest employers in the area – it is unclear at this stage how many redundancies will be made as a result of the closures.
Waterfield’s has 45 stores, mostly in Warrington and Leigh, where it also operates its flagship bakery.
Chairman Richard Waterfield briefed staff on the situation yesterday (5 December) before announcing the news to the wider public. A spokesperson for Waterfield’s told British Baker: "We are very much still up and running."
It has not yet been disclosed which stores are earmarked for closure. Waterfield said in a statement: “The business has been experiencing challenging market conditions, which have adversely impacted on the performance of certain stores and the business as a whole.
“The proposed restructuring of our operations will enable us to make the necessary changes to return the company to profitability.”
British Baker has learnt that a creditors meeting is set to take place on 20 December.
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