Over 100 Ex-Kanes Foods Workers Queue for Primafruit Hiring Session
More than 100 former Kanes Foods employees attended a drop-in hiring session at Primafruit in Evesham after the salad and sauce maker went into administration with more than 600 jobs lost. Workers described shock at the sudden announcement.
More than 100 former Kanes Foods employees attended a drop-in hiring session at Primafruit in Evesham, England, after Kanes Foods Limited went into administration with the loss of more than 600 jobs.
People queued to get in. Primafruit, a nearby employer, held the session at Vale Business Park with HR advisers on hand, and visitors could hand over their CVs.
About 12 permanent roles are being advertised. Primafruit said about 100 seasonal jobs are available in the run-up to Christmas, and it hopes to convert some of those into permanent posts.
Jordan Beckley, from Primafruit, said the company "can't get away from the fact that this is people's lives and we're playing the small bit that we can where we can". He added: "We, like Kanes, are a big local employer and we wanted to do our bit."
Workers describe the shock
Ivanka Semerdzkieva, 38, a mother of two, worked at Kanes Foods for 10 years, the last three as a production shift manager. She said she learned the news by email after two weeks on holiday. "It was a shock for me," she said.
Ben Murphy, 32, a despatch team manager, said workers were told at about 15:30 GMT that a meeting would be held at 16:00. There, they heard that "Kanes is no longer trading". He said the company had been "fairly busy".
Murphy has two children and two stepchildren and said he had "got bills to pay". Of Primafruit's session, he said: "I think it's fantastic what they're doing."
Antoaneta Toncheva, 31, said she worked at Kanes Foods for almost eight years, left, and returned three months ago. "We all knew that there were some financial difficulties, but nothing officially has been said to us," she said.
Muhammad Luqman, 38, had worked there for nearly 13 years, and he said some colleagues had been there for about three decades. He said staff were told one week that the company was going to be sold and the next that it was finished.
Tilak Raj, from Birmingham, worked at Kanes for 21 years and is in his 60s. "I need work, I can't sit at home with no job," he said.
Administration
Administrators PwC said Kanes Foods faced "significant financial and operational challenges" over the last few years. The firm dates back to 1990. It sold pre-packaged salads, stir-fry products and sauces to several major UK supermarkets.
Semerdzkieva said she was grateful for the session. "That was really kind from them and we appreciate that help," she said. "Hopefully they will give us some positions so we can start working."
