Danish seafood processor Espersen is reviewing the future of its Grimsby processing facility, citing ongoing losses and shifting market conditions. The site, acquired in 2023, is reportedly underperforming, contributing to a group-wide pre-financing loss of DKr57 million (£6.48 million) in the last financial year. Group revenues also decreased 4.7% to DKK 3.3 billion.
Key factors behind the potential closure include reduced overall production volumes, increased raw material prices, particularly for Norwegian Atlantic Cod, and weaker market demand. The company attributed part of the cost pressure to sanctions on Russian imports and decreased quotas in the Barents Sea.
Although Espersen had announced investment plans for the Grimsby site in 2023, it now says those plans have been undermined by unexpectedly high capital requirements and deteriorating economic conditions.
If the closure proceeds, the wind-down is expected to take about 12 months. Espersen has not confirmed how many jobs could be affected. This would mark the company’s exit from UK processing operations, though it intends to maintain a local sales presence.
The move follows Espersen’s earlier closure of its Lithuanian site in Klaipėda, with production relocated to Poland as part of a broader cost-efficiency strategy that includes ongoing optimisation efforts in its Polish facilities.
