Irish beef processor Kepak will close the Cornwall meat plant it took control of when it acquired the red meat division of UK processor 2 Sisters Food Group in July last year. The red meat business of 2 Sisters comprised four production sites, including McIntosh Donald facility in Portlethen, Scotland; and three St Merryn sites at Merthyr, Bodmin and Cornwall.

However, Kepak has decided to close the St Merryn facility in Cornwall with more than 170 jobs at risk. The Cornwall plant was a specialist meat packaging facility for retail and foodservice customers.

Kepak also announced last week it will invest £5.4m (€6.3m) to upgrade the McIntosh Donald facility in Scotland, which will create an additional 40 jobs. The Clonee-based company received a £1.6m grant from the Scottish government to upgrade the beef and lamb processing site at Portlethen.

The acquisition of the 2 Sisters red meat business has almost doubled Kepak’s annual cattle kill to over 500,000 head and will more than double its sheep kill to 1.35m in the UK and Ireland.