Heinz shuts pizza factory

Heinz is ceasing production at its pizza factory in Grimsby on Friday with the loss of 400 jobs.

The food giant announced the plans in March, saying its pizza-manufacturing arm was no longer viable.

Despite a £10m investment in the plant since they acquired it from United Biscuits in 1999, the business has lost money.

The company blamed a lack of demand for its pizzas in an increasingly saturated market.

It said the factory had been under-used as a result of the downturn.

Speaking at the time of the announcement, Director of Heinz Frozen Foods Mark Holdaway said the company "deeply regretted" the closure.

He said: "This proposal is difficult but necessary, and was only made after careful consideration of possible alternatives."

Heinz was the UK's fourth biggest pizza manufacturer on the market.

The Grimsby site, one of 37 Heinz plants in Europe, produced pizzas under the San Marco and Ross labels.