Linwoods bakery in Armagh to close

A family owned bakery in County Armagh with the loss of 70 jobs because of a slump in demand for its products.

Linwoods, which began life as a small grocery shop 60 years ago, said the bakery had suffered “long term decline in market demand”.

The firm, which also has an expanding health foods business, had previously restructured its operations last year when it made 90 people redundant.

According to Linwoods margins at its bakery business had been “severely depressed”, the firm had previously blamed changes in its customers’ eating habits, particularly in relation to a drop in demand for white bread, for a downturn in sales.

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Although its bakery business will close the firm’s health food business which specialises in superfoods and a wide range of healthy seeds, nuts and berries, will not be affected.

John Woods, joint managing director at Linwoods, said the bakery had once been a “cornerstone” of the family’s business but they had no option but to close it.