DAIRY FIRM Uniq is to shed 350 jobs at its Shropshire site, it announced today.

The company says it is closing production of its loss-making Everyday Desserts line at Minsterley.

Attempts to turn around the fortunes of the line, which includes dairy puddings and trifles, have failed.

The company’s premium range of desserts is to be moved from Minsterley to Somerset. But some desserts will continue to be made at Minsterley, with staff scaled down to around 100 people.

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Managing director Steve Hill said: “Whilst we have been very open about the issues we face in our Everyday Desserts business I do know today’s news will come as a huge blow to ever-yone involved with the Minsterley site.

“The harsh reality is that, despite significant management focus and investment by Uniq over the past six years, this area of our business has consistently lost money and recent raw material inflation and loss of volume has only served to exacerbate the situation.

“Sadly, we are now in a position whereby we are unable to identify a course of action that will enable us to stem the losses in Everyday Desserts and therefore do not feel we have any alternative.”

Uniq will now launch a consultation process with all employees and their representatives, and says it will do its best to reduce the impact of the proposed closure.

Production of the desserts range in?Minsterley will continue until next summer. The site will continue to manufacture Cadbury chilled desserts on behalf of Muller.

Mr Hill said the firm’s priority “will be to work with those employees potentially impacted by today’s announcement to help them secure alternative employment”.

The announcement will not impact on the proposed sale of Uniq to Greencore which is expected to be completed next month. It follows an announcement by the firm last month that it was to close its yoghurt production operation on the site.

By Business Editor Thom Kennedy