Dalehead Foods is set to take on 40 new members of staff at their site in Spalding, Lincolnshire.
The pork production site, which operates under a division of Tulip, is expanding thanks to an increase in demand, and requires more workers as a result.
New Refurbishment
A lot of the need for the new food recruitment drive is the fact that the factory recently underwent a big refurbishment. The new look, focusing on robotics, was in sore need at a facility which has been in operation since 1950.
The increased production at the site, of high-welfare pork, now demands new team members. Specifically, they are looking for both skilled and unskilled workers to join as butchers at the 35,000 metre square site. There are currently 550 employees at the facility, so the newcomers will certainly be in good company.
The potential new hires don’t have to go in blind: the company has announced an open day, to take place on 11 May. This will be a chance for applicants to get to know more about the role and understand what kind of position they maybe able to take within the company.
Abigail Brewin is the HR Manager at Dalehead Foods. She said, “We’re pleased to announce this recruitment drive, showing our on-going commitment as a major local employer in the Spalding area. The Dalehead Foods site in Spalding has a great team spirit and provides a fantastic opportunity to learn new skills and progress with a career in the food industry. We’re looking forward to welcoming new people to join our team. It is an active role and we’re searching for motivated applicants who enjoy manual work, including lifting, and being on their feet for most of the working day.”
Job Fortune Reversal
This announcement may come as a hard blow to some of the Tulip employees who work at the Bodmin facility in Cornwall. The management there recently announced that they have entered into consultation with employees and union representatives over 170 food jobs which are at risk there.
They claim that a “significant fall in production volumes at the site due to loss of business” is to blame. This is a big loss for the area, and if all of the jobs are cut after consultation ends, it will mean a large number of people looking for work elsewhere. The jobs in Spalding will be little consolation, as there is more than enough distance between them to make relocation highly unlikely for any employees.
If anything, this is a strong example of how fortunes can quickly rise and fall in the food industry. When a supply chain change happens, or demand in one product line falls while another is on the up, companies can quickly shift the jobs they have on offer and where they are based. 170 people are going to be without employment in Cornwall; 40 people are going to find jobs in Spalding. While it may seem amazing that this can happen within the same company, it is common practice to focus on the more profitable areas of the business and slice away any that provide disappointing results.
In fact, this may be an important key for survival in the current economic climate. With restaurants, wholesalers, and whole factories shutting down due to lack of funding over recent months, this can cause huge disruption across the supply chain and change the demands of the industry within weeks. Any companies that react quickly, ensuring that their most profitable arms stay open while the lesser ones fail to rack up debt thanks to swift closure, are the ones that will survive.
