Bakery rises as jobs face the axe

RISING profits for Warburton’s has revealed the bread-makers are more profitable than Manchester United.

Despite 174 jobs facing the slice with the proposed closure of the firm’s Shaw bakery — the family-run business is among the top 20 leading British mid-market private companies.

The bakers are the second highest North-West company in the latest Sunday Times HSBC Top Track 250 list of companies — behind Liverpool-based discount chain B&M Retail.

Warburtons has risen up the league table since last year — from 34th to its current position of 18th.

Manchester United lie 107th with sales at £286.4 million in 2010, and profits up by 65 per cent to £16.8 million.

Warburtons announced sales of £492 million last year, with profits increasing by 44 per cent.

This will be no comfort to the Glebe Street-based employees who were told in mid-September that the 73-year-old factory is under a 90-day consultation period.

The firm’s managing director, Robert Higginson, said last month: “The proposed changes are designed to improve our manufacturing and distribution operations.”

Shaw councillor Howard Sykes said: “Warburtons are maximising profits by concentrating on larger and newer plants or closing the ones that have been starved of investment.”