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Linden Foods abattoir gets One North East funding

Funding is ensuring that the north east will get its first fully EU accredited abattoir, strengthening the region's red meat supply chain.

Rural Development Agency One North East's Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) has approved £200,000 to make Burradon abattoir Linden Foods, in Northumberland, more efficient, raising standards and creating a more sustainable and profitable business, the agency has said.

It is hoped the funding will address potential market failure in the region's red meat supply chain, which means many animals are transported to Scotland, Yorkshire and the south instead.

David Bradford, Linden Foods financial controller, said: "This investment from RDPE is essential for the business to move forward in a sustainable way by increasing our efficiency and raising standards to the level required by our customers.

"The improvements will also ensure that the sites' environmental impact will be reduced and the quality of the end-product will be improved, producing a win-win situations for both ourselves, the supply chain and our customers."

Having bought Whitley Bay Meat Supply Company (Burradon) and Coast and County Meat Supply Company in 2007, Linden Foods Burradon, is primarily involved in slaughtering livestock and carcase preparation. The company currently employs 44 people, but as a result of the investment, five jobs will be created.

One north-east RDPE manager Adrian Sherwood added: "In recent decades larger processors have migrated away from the north east, leaving the region with only a handful of small players. It is therefore crucial to the future of the region's livestock production and meat processing sector that abattoirs have the best infrastructure to provide the high value markets for the livestock produced in the region.

"The Linden Foods' project will combine very modern, efficient and cost-effective processing with the highest accreditations that the food industry demands.

"This high-quality abattoir will also add value through reduced food miles and carbon emissions, through to traceability and locally branded products to the export market."

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