'Such a shame' as an iconic grain factory is in danger of closing after 86 years

An iconic cereal brand could close a factory described as 'part of the make-up of the city' after 86 years in operation.

Kellogg's factory in Trafford Park, Greater Manchester, is at risk of closure, leaving hundreds of workers without jobs.

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Kellanova, the US owner of Kellogg's, said it “cannot currently see a long-term future” for the site.

About a million boxes of breakfast cereals, including cereal, rice krispies and coco pops, are made at the factory, which first opened in 1938.

However, the proposed closure plans assume that the last batches of grain will leave the factory for good in 2026 and that 360 workers could be left without jobs.

Andrew Western MP said closing the factory would be “a devastating loss for the people of Stretford and Urmston” and hoped the owners would reconsider closing the site.

Kellanova's general manager, Chris Silcock, justified the proposal to close the site due to the factory's outdated layout.

He said the factory floor plan “made sense in the 1930s”, but changes in industrial design meant “you wouldn't design a factory like that today”.

“In addition, we only use half the space in the buildings and the investments required to maintain the factory in the coming years are simply not feasible,” he added.

Kellanova has begun formal talks with factory staff and union representatives at Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers).

The brand's cereal factory in Wrexham and the company's distribution center in St Helens will not be affected, the company said.

Mick Murray, Usdaw area organizer, said: “This is devastating news for staff to hear that the closure of the Kellogg's manufacturing site at Manchester Trafford Park is being considered.

“Usdaw will now engage in meaningful consultation discussions with the company, where we will interrogate their business case and seek the best possible outcome for staff affected by the proposed closure.

“We are providing support, advice and representation to our members during this difficult time.”

Kellogg's Corn Flakes and All Bran were first introduced to the British public in 1922, where they were originally imported from the US and later from Canada.

The cereal brand opened its first British factory in Trafford Park, Manchester on May 24, 1938.

In 1936 a box of cereal cost five and a half old pence, with UK sales at the time exceeding 50 million packets sold.

The company's Manchester factory is the largest cereal factory in Europe, producing corn and rice-based products including Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, launched in 1928, Frosties – 1954, Coco Pops -1960 and Crunchy Nut in 1980.

It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 350 days a year and employs approximately 400 people from the local area.

While they produce 70 million boxes of Cornflakes every year, they also produce a further 39 million boxes of Crunchy Nut in Manchester every year.

More than 70 million kilos of honey have been used in the production of Crunchy Nut over the past 42 years, while 1.2 billion peanuts are used annually and each 500 gram box contains as many as 6,000 golden Crunchy Nut flakes.