Production resumed on Sunday, March 19, at the Scottish bakery Morton’s Rolls, after the company was bought by the PVL consortium. The bakery started the weekend with limited staff running test bakes before it fully reopened on Sunday, following its sudden March 4 closure. Morton’s blamed the business collapse on difficulties following the pandemic and spiking energy prices, “exacerbated by contractual obligations to large supermarkets,” BBC quotes the management.
About 110 workers, about half of the total staff, were asked to return to work, after being laid off last in the same week. Morton’s was bought by investors PVL after talks with HMRC, administrators and the Scottish government, the BBC reports. The government announced it would support the employees still affected by last week’s redundancies.
PVL told the BBC it was confident it could turn the company’s fortunes around. The new owners will reportedly focus on the bakery’s core products initially, such as its traditional crispy rolls, a million of which came out of its gates weekly in the past.
The British news channel spoke with PVL representative John McIlvogue, who said that, while the business was “undoubtedly viable”, its factory was “antiquated and in need of a serious overhaul”. He also expressed hope that helps from the Scottish government will be provided in this regard.
Going forward, the bakery will no longer supply supermarkets and will focus on local shops instead. In an interview with Glasgow Live, McIlvogue said: “The thing about this business from here onwards is that it will be an independent business supplying independent businesses and that’s it. The only place you‘ll be able to get a Morton’s Roll is your local shop.”
Glasgow Labor MSP Paul Sweeney, who helped to support the takeover negotiations, was also quoted: “These circumstances are by no means perfect, and there is still work to be done to make sure Morton’s is a sustainable business that can thrive for generations to come. There is a commitment from the government to make sure they do everything in their power to make sure that is the case, and I will do everything in my power to hold them to that commitment.”
Morton’s product range includes savory products such as pies and bridies, and sweet specialties including apple turnovers and doughnuts.
Morton’s Rolls bakery could be saved
Photo: Morton’s Rolls Twitter
