The owners of a major sandwich business based in Wiltshire have indicated that it may have to close as it is no longer economically viable.

Ultimate Foods, which runs the Gibsons factory in Devizes, has entered into a 30-day consultation period with staff over the future of the plant.

A total of 95 staff work at the plant, which is one of the largest sandwich making businesses in the country.

The company said in a statement that following a thorough analysis of the business, it had concluded that the site was “not viable as a production unit in its current form in the long term”.

The statement went on: “While Ultimate Foods will explore every possible option during the 30-day consultation over the future of the Devizes operation, it is very possible that the outcome will be the closure of the site.

“The prospect of making hard-working and dedicated employees redundant is probably one of the hardest decisions any business has to make.”

Previous owners Uniq announced in 2004 that it would close the factory but Gibsons stepped in and reopened it at the beginning of 2005.

However, Gibsons themselves got into trouble when they lost a contract with Weight Watchers and an anticipated contract to supply sandwiches to WH Smith did not materialise. The plant was then taken over by Ultimate Foods.