'Deeply concerning': Hundreds of jobs at risk as major Aberdeenshire butcher announces closure

Hundreds of jobs are at risk after an Aberdeenshire butcher announced its impending closure.

Donald Russell, an online butcher based in Inverurie, which specialises in premium meat, said it had faced “mounting challenges” in recent years, including volatile meat prices.

About 120 employees at the company’s Inverurie facility are now set to enter a statutory 45-day collective consultation process.

Matthew Flood, interim CEO of Donald Russell, said the decision to cease operations was made after a comprehensive financial review.

He said: “Needless to say, this is not the outcome anyone wanted, and I recognise how unsettling this news is for our colleagues and their families.

“Donald Russell has been a respected Aberdeenshire business for more than 50 years, but the company has faced mounting challenges in recent years.

“Unprecedented volatility in meat prices, unpredictable energy costs and the rising costs of doing business have created a perfect storm that has left the business unable to continue trading in its current form.”

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

It said it will explore all alternatives during the consultation period, including marketing the business for sale, while also preparing for the possibility of closure.

“We remain open to any viable alternative, including actively marketing the business for sale,” Mr Flood added.

“However, we are also planning realistically for closure, and our absolute priority is to support our colleagues through this difficult period with transparency, dignity and all the assistance we can provide.”

Gordon and Buchan MP Harriet Cross called the cuts “deeply concerning.”

He said: “This announcement will be deeply concerning for our meat industry, both in the North East, and across Scotland.

“The closure of Donald Russell would be devastating for the business, their staff, the supply chains and farmers who have all relied on the business for more than 50 years.

“This is the latest blow within the sector to hit Inverurie following the closure of Scotbeef last year and underlines the intolerable pressures that our food and agricultural industry is facing.

“The likes of Donald Russell are being driven out of business 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.

“There is also an immediate human impact of all this, and my thoughts go out to the employees at Inverurie whose jobs are at risk.

“If both governments at Holyrood and Westminster are serious about rural jobs, our food security, and the importance of UK farming, then more support needs to be given to butchers so they can survive these unprecedented challenges.”