Morrisons marked the official opening ceremony of its new Abattoir in Spalding, Lincolnshire, with a plaque unveiled by the Rt. Hon Jane Kennedy MP, Minister of State for Farming and the Environment.

Marc Bolland, Morrisons Chief Executive, said; “The official opening of Spalding reinforces our continued commitment to the British farming industry.

“We are driving forward quality and efficiency which in turn will enable us to help secure the long-term viability of British farming”.

The Rt. Hon Jane Kennedy, MP, Minister of State for Farming and the Environment said; “It’s a great pleasure for me to officially open Morrisons’ Spalding abattoir, especially given the commitment Morrisons has consistently shown to supporting British farmers.

“I am also particularly impressed that Morrisons only sells 100% fresh British meat. Spalding is a stand-out facility and will make a great contribution to supporting local farmers”

The 164,000 sq ft site operated by Woodhead Bros, a wholly owned subsidiary of Morrisons, processes 1,200 tonnes of beef and pork products per week for Morrisons 382 stores.

Morrisons only sells 100% British fresh meat, with Spalding processing 40% of the beef and pork products on sale in Morrisons stores.

One of Spalding’s unique features is its bacon curing facility which produces over 150 tonnes of British bacon a week.