Total Produce is in consultation with all 40 members of staff at its Norwich branch with a view to closing it at month-end.
Denis Punter, executive chairman of Total Produce UK, told freshinfo: “Out of courtesy to our staff we are going through the proper process. Nothing is definite yet, but in all honesty, it is highly likely that we will close the depot. We have been involved in Norwich for a long time, initially as Fyffes, and the depot is quite old. The majority of its business is built around banana ripening and we had to decide whether to refurbish such an old building. We have come to the decision that it is not viable to make that investment as Norwich is no longer the ideal location for our customers.”
Punter said the branch is not a victim of the recession and that reports of loss of an important contract are exaggerated. He said: “One contract with a particular cash-and-carry customer is changing but that is not a factor. Nor has this anything to do with the recession.”
