Albert Bartlett has purchased a potato factory under threat of closure by Heinz.
The Westwick site and its assets in North Walsham have been sold to the Scottish potato giant.
It had been due to close this month, causing the loss of around 200 jobs.
Following a consultation, Heinz announced the closure of the site in December 2014 after failing to find a buyer for the factory as a going concern.
This move followed the decision by the William Jackson Food Group, owner of the Aunt Bessie’s brand, not to renew the license for Heinz to manufacture its frozen potato products.
Belgian potato supplier Agristo won the contract to produce Aunt Bessie’s potato products in place of Heinz.
Speaking at the time, the CEO of William Jackson Food Group, Norman Soutar,said: 'We scoured the UK and then Europe for new a supplier of potato products which would deliver the quality expected by our customers and selected Agristo.
“Heinz has done a great job with our Aunt Bessie’s potato business but we’re now keen for it to join the rest of the Aunt Bessie’s operations in-house, giving us greater influence over its management and long-term future direction,” he said.
Albert Bartlett confirmed that it had bought the site, but refused to comment any further.
Therefore, it is not yet clear if there will still be any job losses or loss of production following the handover.
Sheila Oxtoby, chief executive of North Norfolk District Council told local newspaper the Eastern Daily Press: “After all the uncertainty about the future of the plant over the past six months, the news that Albert Bartlett is acquiring the Westwick factory is fantastic and a really positive development for the local economy, who obviously see north Norfolk as a great place to invest and do business in.
“Albert Bartlett is a growing, international company and we are committed to offering our fullest support and working with them to ensure the best possible outcome for the local economy and people of North Walsham.”
