Jobs lost as Inverurie Scotbeef abattoir in Aberdeenshire closes its doors

Jobs have been lost following the closure of an abattoir in Aberdeenshire.

The Scotbeef site in Inverurie closed its doors on Wednesday, with all staff members being made redundant.

The job losses follow an operational review which concluded the closure was “necessary to protect the long-term future of the business”.

The company confirmed that a redundancy process is now under way with staff who have “shown loyalty and commitment over the years”.

Scotbeef, a subsidiary of East Kilbride-based JW Galloway, processes fresh beef, lamb and value-added products for leading UK and international retail markets.

The business has facilities at two other Scottish locations – East Kilbride and Annan – as well as operations south of the border in Sheffield, Heysham and Wolverhampton.

A spokesperson for Scotbeef said: “Despite our best efforts to address the sustained challenges within the UK meat and beef industry over the past 18 months, we have unfortunately taken the difficult decision to close our Inverurie site.

“This follows a comprehensive operational review which concluded that closure is necessary to protect the long-term future of the business.

“Decisions such as these are never easy, and we understand that there will be a significant impact on our staff, many of whom have shown loyalty and commitment to the business over many years. A redundancy process is now under way, and we shall ensure that all affected employees are fully supported throughout this period.”

They added: “We are actively working with other businesses in the meat industry to identify alternative employment opportunities, as well as offering roles at other Scotbeef sites for those who may wish to relocate.”