Major Scottish abattoir and meat plant close
Major Scottish abattoir and meat plant close
ONE of Scotlands biggest abattoirs and a meat cutting plant have been closed by the ANM Group.
The companys Edinburgh abattoir, bought from Hillsdown Holdings more than four years ago for a reputed £2m, was handling 700 cattle and up to 5000 sheep a week.
The beef was further processed by Thistle Meat Specialists, Inverurie, bought by ANM from receivers more than a year ago. The sheep meat output from Edinburgh was exported through the groups subsidiary, Scotch Premier Meat.
The main reason for the closure was the loss of a £450,000 a week beef supply contract to Asda, which accounted for 50% of Thistle business. That has gone to the newly re-opened ABM meat plant in Perth controlled by Irishman Larry Goodman.
ANM Group chief executive Brian Pack said the triple pressures of supermarkets controlling the red meat market, renderers exerting near monopoly powers, and unfair competition with other European suppliers, had made the red meat industry highly unprofitable.