Tyrrells vegetable crisps set to be axed with factory facing closure

KP Snacks has announced plans to close a Tyrrells factory in Staffordshire as it looks to ditch the brand’s vegetable crisps range due to a “sustained” decline in demand.

The snacks giant said it was looking to shut the site in Uttoxeter, where Tyrrells vegetable crisps are made.

It did not immediately disclose how many staff work at the factory, but said it would look to minimise redundancies.

KP Snacks said the plans to axe the vegetable crisps follow “a sustained decline in demand and the loss of key export volumes”.

It said: “As a result, we are proposing to close the Uttoxeter site where these products are manufactured.

“While no final decisions have been made, we appreciate this is an uncertain time for our colleagues at Uttoxeter and we are supporting them throughout the consultation process.

“Should the proposal progress, we will explore any ways to reduce or avoid redundancies where possible.”

It stressed there were no planned changes to its other Tyrrells potato crisp ranges which it said “are not affected and continue to perform strongly”.

Herefordshire potato farmer William Chase founded Tyrrells in 2002.

He turned his hand to crisp-making when his margins as a potato farmer were wiped out by the supermarkets.

The crisps gain their flavour through the use of special potato varieties such as Lady Rosetta.

He sold Tyrrells to private equity firm Langholm Capital in 2008 for £40 million.

It has since changed hands a number of times before being bought by KP Snacks owner Intersnack from The Hershey Company in 2018.