2,000 Hibernia jobs in jeopardy

UNCERTAINTY was hanging over about 2,000 jobs yesterday after a food manufacturer that produces Sara Lee cakes and Mr Brains faggots went into administration.

Joint administrative receivers KPMG were appointed to Hibernia Foods Holdings and six subsidiaries, which employ the staff at six sites.

Hibernia Foods makes bakery products under licence to American food and textiles group Sara Lee, and chilled desserts under licence to Entenmanns as well as Mr Brains meat faggots and own-label products for major supermarkets.

The group employs 250 people at a chilled dessert factory in Birmingham, 693 staff at two own-label product plants in Hartlepool, 550 making Sara Lee and Entenmanns products at a factory in Bridlington, 400 at another own label site in Stockton-on-Tees and 200 at a Mr Brains plant in Bristol.

KPMG were also appointed to Hibernia Foods Plc, the Nasdaq-listed holding company based in Dublin and its Yeagar subsidiary, which employs about 30 staff.

A KPMG spokesman said all the staff would be kept on while the receivers sought a buyer for the business.

He could not put a timescale on the process, but added that the receivers were optimistic.