Job losses confirmed as Aberdeenshire butcher announces company closure

An Aberdeenshire butcher has announced that 30 jobs have been lost and 90 more are at risk after it was unable to find a buyer for the company.

Donald Russell, based in Inverurie, specialises in premium meat and also deals with direct-to-consumer clients online.

In February, it was reported that the business was struggling, with interim chief executive Matthew Flood citing “volatile” meat prices.

Around 120 employees at the company’s Inverurie facility entered a statutory 45-day collective consultation process.

The butcher said it would explore “all possible alternatives” during the consultation period, including marketing the business for sale, while also preparing for the possibility of closure.

The company, founded in 1974, has now confirmed that it has been unable to find a buyer for the business and its direct-to-consumer website.

Around 30 roles have been confirmed as made redundant.

New consultation period launched

Around 90 more staff affected have now entered a new 30-day collective consultation process.

A spokesperson for Donald Russell said: “Sadly, after exploring all possible alternatives, we were unable to find a buyer for our business as an ongoing concern.

“We are now in advanced talks to sell the Donald Russell brand and direct-to-consumer website, and a new 30-day consultation with the colleagues employed in that part of the business has begun.

“We are grateful to all our fantastic colleagues, who have maintained the highest standards throughout an incredibly difficult period, and we wish them all the very best in their futures.”

The company closed its cold storage distribution centre in Kintore in August last year, resulting in around 70 employees leaving the business.

Gordon and Buchan MP Harriet Cross said the cuts were a “depressing illustration” of the meat sector.

She said: “It’s extremely disappointing that Donald Russell has been unable to secure a buyer for its business.

“My immediate thoughts go to the staff who have been made redundant through no fault of their own, and to the workers whose jobs remain under threat.

“This is a depressing illustration of the sector being pushed to breaking point by rising costs, regulatory pressures, volatility in meat prices and barriers to domestic farming that are all contributing to the loss of a key pillar of our food security.

“This sequence of events underlines the urgent need for both governments to start making decisions that support rather than undermine businesses like butchers, especially in these times of mounting external pressures.

“The closure of Donald Russell is devastating for the people of Inverurie, its staff, the supply chains and farmers who have all relied on the business for more than 50 years.”