Ornua has announced that it plans to close its cheese manufacturing and formatting operation in Ledbury, UK.

In a statement, the company said that capacity is underutilised at the plant and that significant investment would be required to maintain production in future.

The company proposed that the majority of production at the site would be moved to Ornua Ingredients Europe’s UK site in Nantwich, Cheshire, and to Ávila in Spain.

The Ledbury facility is also home to Ornua Ingredients Europe’s centre of excellence for innovation, containing a full pilot plant and test kitchen facilities.

Consultation

A statutory 45-day consultation period will begin with the approximately 115 employees potentially affected by the decision.

Ornua anticipates that production will cease in Ledbury no later than the end of June 2025.

Ornua acquired the Ledbury site as part of the 2003 acquisition of Meadow Cheese. The company said that the closure will not affect other Ornua Ingredients Europe sites or the Ornua Foods site in Leek, Oxfordshire.