Save Elkes Biscuits call

Unite the union today (September 29) called for potential buyers to step forward to purchase Elkes Biscuits in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, following the decision by its owner 2 Sisters Food Group to sell the company.

Unite said that Elkes Biscuits, with 550 employees was Uttoxeter’s biggest employer, made a ‘fantastic’ range of popular Victorian-style biscuits and its possible loss would be ‘an economic  catastrophe’ for the town, and the workers and their families.

The consultation opens tomorrow (September 30) and runs to March 2022, which Unite said provides ample opportunity for potential buyers to step forward to take over the Cheadle Road site, formerly known as Fox’s Biscuits.

Unite regional officer Rick Coyle said, “The possible closure of Elkes Biscuits would be a catastrophe for the employees, their families and the wider regional economy. It is Uttoxeter’s biggest employer so the knock-on impact on the shops and hospitality outlets that rely on the spending power of the workforce would be substantial.

“However, we know that Elkes Biscuits has a wide range of biscuits that are very popular with consumers, and this is underpinned by a dedicated and hardworking workforce,” he added. “All these factors make it an attractive proposition to another company wishing to buy the site.

“Unite wishes to work constructively with the management of the 2 Sisters Food Group during the consultation period until March to find a buyer,” Coyle continued. “We would like to examine in detail the business case that is being put forward for the sale.

“We will also be giving our members maximum support during this anxious time.”

Unite is dedicated to advancing the jobs, pay and conditions of its members and will fight back against any efforts to diminish workers’ living standards.

By Shaun Noble