Asda plans to stop in-store baking, up to 1,200 jobs at risk, reports say

Asda PLC, the third-largest supermarket chain in the UK, plans to stop baking in its 341 bakeries in store, putting as many as 1,200 jobs at risk, media reports said.

Bread, pastries and other baked products would be made in a central bakery and then warmed up in its stores, giving customers access to freshly baked products throughout the day rather than just once a day, Asda said.

Roger Jenkins, national officer of the GMB union, said the proposal was not good for customers.

“Over 1,000 skilled bakers are now at risk of losing their jobs,” he said “GMB calls on Asda to retain these valuable skilled employees and continue to offer the customer truly fresh produce baked by professional bakers.”

The overhaul is the latest in a series of changes announced since the grocer was sold by Walmart to a consortium comprising petrol station billionaires the Issa brothers and private equity group TDR Capital last year.

In February, the new owners unveiled a restructuring programme affecting up to 5,000 jobs with the Dartford and Heston home shopping centres set to close and ‘back office’ store functions facing an overhaul.

Story by ProactiveInvestors