Pilgrim's Europe has begun consulting staff over the proposed closure of its lamb packing plant at Appleshaw, near Andover in Hampshire, with the site earmarked to shut towards the end of January 2027.

The move follows the planned sale of the company's lamb abattoir at Llanidloes in Powys to meat processor ABP Food Group. All 140 staff employed at the Llanidloes site will move to the new owners once the transaction is completed in December. Once both moves are complete, Pilgrim's Europe will exit lamb processing in the UK altogether, to focus on its core pork, poultry and value-added businesses.

Consultation and redeployment

The closure at Andover is a proposal, not a final decision, and a consultation process is now under way. Pilgrim's Europe said it hopes to retain colleagues through alternative employment opportunities across its UK operations, subject to the outcome of the consultation. The company has not confirmed how many jobs could be lost at the Andover site.

Pilgrim's Europe president Ivan Siqueira said the sale would allow continued focus and investment in the company's core businesses, while giving the Llanidloes site opportunities for future growth within a specialist lamb processor. ABP UK chief executive Kevin Cahill said Llanidloes was an excellent strategic fit for ABP's lamb business, sitting in the heart of Welsh lamb production.

London-headquartered Pilgrim's Europe operates around 40 processing plants in the UK, Ireland, France and the Netherlands, supplying retailers and foodservice with own-label products and brands such as Fridge Raiders, Denny and Oakhouse. Llanidloes will join ABP's UK meat division, which also runs lamb abattoirs at Yetminster and Kingswinford in England, Lurgan and Dungannon in Northern Ireland, and Bridge of Allan in Scotland.