A BUTCHERY company has said it is closing its Levisham production facility, with staff redundancies “inevitable”.

The Ginger Pig Ltd breeds and rears pigs, cattle and sheep at several farms in the Vale of Pickering for sale in a number of high-end London shops.

The company confirmed on Thursday that it is relocating its Levisham facility to a location, as yet unconfirmed, in the south.

Amelia Latham Wake, from the company, said in a statement: “The existing facility at Grange Farm in Levisham is to be sold as part of the relocation process. This is an important move for the future of the business, both in terms of growth and efficiencies.

"Yorkshire holds a very special place in our hearts, but it is no longer sustainable for us to transport produce hundreds of miles to supply our growing number of shops, especially as we venture further afield.

“Ginger Pig will retain its North Yorkshire farmland, where all our high welfare livestock are reared and breeding projects run.

"We will continue to work together with our network of suppliers, friends and wholesale customers to facilitate the move and maintain the standards we have worked so hard to produce.”

Asked about the number of redundancies, Ms Latham Wake said they do not have a figure as yet as some staff relocations are being offered.

“All those involved will be given more detail in personal meetings over the coming weeks,” she said.

“It goes without saying that the welfare of our staff is of paramount importance. We will be working with local employment services and our contacts in the community to do everything in our power to help all involved find alternative employment or training programmes.

“We are working closely with dedicated specialists to ensure that we do our best by each member of staff and that they receive all the support they need.

“We are extremely proud of our staff and grateful for all that they have done for the business over the years. They have all been an integral part of helping Ginger Pig to grow to where it is today.”