Trade union Unite has urged C&C to find a buyer for its Shepton Cider Mill in Somerset, which is set to close this summer with the loss of 120 jobs, following the company’s decision to move production to Clonmel.
Unite regional coordinating officer, Steve Preddy, warned that closing Shepton could mean the end of a 246-year old cider-making tradition for the region. However, he added that brands like Blackthorn and Olde English, as well as the site’s skilled workforce, should make the site an attractive proposition for a buyer.
"We are calling on C&C to repay the loyalty and hard work of the Shepton workforce by finding a buyer to take on the main Shepton site as a going concern – thus preserving a tradition of cider-making in the town stretching back to 1770," Preddy commented.
"We believe that iconic brands, combined with a highly-skilled and motivated workforce, would make Shepton a very attractive proposition for a buyer."
© 2016 - Checkout Magazine by Jenny Whelan.
