Kellogg's factory in Trafford Park, Manchester closing by end of 2026 with the loss of 360 jobs

The Kellogg's factory in Manchester will close by the end of 2026, potentially leading to the loss of 360 jobs. Kellanova, which runs the cereal giant, said the negotiations had ended in a formal agreement with enhanced redundancy packages for staff at its Trafford Park plant and redeployment where possible.

The potential closure of the 90-year-old base was announced in February, citing its age and a "large amount of redundant space". Chris Silcock, the managing director of Kellanova, said the closure had "nothing to do with the outstanding people" who work there.” He said: “However, we remain clear there isn’t a long-term future for the site.

"It’s laid out in a way that made sense in the 1930s, with food travelling up and down six floors in a legacy manufacturing process. What’s more, we only use half the space in the buildings and the investment required to maintain the factory in the coming years is simply not viable.”

He added: "And, how everyone has chosen to conduct themselves over the last months has really brought this to life for us.”

He added: "We understand confirmation of something significant like a factory closure is never easy to hear and we will try to make it as smooth as possible. That means we’ll work with partners on things like outplacement support for our employees and, for the community, we will start to explore the long-term future of the site."

About one million boxes of cereal including Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, and Coco Pops are made there every day. The company also shared a joint statement agreed with UNITE and The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers.

It said: "Through collective consultation the company and employee representatives have agreed a substantial package which recognises our employees’ contribution and supports them to transition to life beyond Kellanova."

Mr Silcock said the firm would soon begin exploring options for what will happen to the plant but it would aim to keep Kellogg’s production volumes in the UK. The company’s Wrexham factories and headquarters in Salford's MediaCity, which currently employ about 1,000 people, will not be affected by the closure.