Anxious wait for cake workers

Receivers KPMG are attempting to find a buyer for the site

Workers at a cake factory in Bridlington will have to wait until the New Year before they find out if their jobs are safe.

About 450 workers have been laid off at the Sara Lee frozen foods factory at Carnaby.

Both the union representing the workers, the Transport and General Workers' Union, and the receivers, KPMG, had hoped a deal could be finalised before Christmas, but this is not possible.

Union officials had agreed to the lay-offs to try to prevent the complete closure of the factory.

Now the receivers' negotiations with potential buyers will not be concluded until after the festive holidays.

The Hibernia Foods group, which produced frozen desserts for US bakery giant Sara Lee, went into receivership on 27 October.

Sara Lee sold its UK baking operations, including the 310,000 square foot Bridlington plant, to Hibernia Foods in June 2001.

Hibernia Foods also held licensing rights to market frozen desserts that it made under the Sara Lee brand name in the UK for two years, until it went into receivership.