Zeelandia UK hosts MP visit on International Women’s Day to showcase continued site investment

At Zeelandia UK, building strong relationships in the communities where we work is an essential part of our core values.

Since acquiring mincemeat and jam specialists James Fleming & Co in 2017, our Wigan production site, also known as Flemings Zeelandia, has been a key part of our ambitious growth plans.

Employing 162 employees, Flemings Zeelandia has doubled its staff headcount and seen over £7 million in continuous investment since the acquisition, including site expansion and new processing equipment, process improvement initiatives, and staff development.

During her visit, Yvonne learnt about the many community initiatives staff have engaged with, from supporting local charities, fundraising for Derian House Children Hospice and the Pink for Peace campaign, to support for our Ukrainian sister company through the Bake4Ukraine movement.

We also shared how the welfare and satisfaction of our workforce remains a key focus on our route to continued business growth, with a range of initiatives in place across the business raising awareness on wellness, health and safety in the workplace and diversity and inclusion.

Yvonne then enjoyed a tour of the site and the opportunity to meet staff across the business, seeing first-hand how we make our market-leading jams, mincemeats and caramels for the baking industry.

She particularly enjoyed the chance to join us in recognising a group of our female colleagues on International Women's Day to celebrate their highly valued contribution to the business’s success.

Before leaving site Yvonne discussed how she could support Zeelandia in their ambition to engage further with local schools to share with senior pupils the many exciting roles available within the food industry across a range of disciplines, as well as supporting collaboration and dialogue with other local businesses to drive forward plans for sustainability and initiatives to benefit the Makerfield community.

Yvonne Fovargue, MP for Makerfield

“It was great to meet David and the team and to hear about the business and how the recent investment has helped them progress. What they have achieved is remarkable and testament to their commitment and hard work, with some delicious products that can be found in many well-known brands across the country.

“I am proud to have such a successful business based in my constituency and I was particularly interested to learn about Zeelandia’s support for Ukraine via the Bake4Ukraine movement.”

“I wish David and the team continued success and thank them for the opportunity to visit their Ashton in Makerfield site.”

David Amos, Managing Director, Zeelandia UK

“It was an honour to have Yvonne here at our Wigan site, to highlight what we do and our growth through the hard work of our incredible colleagues and continuous investment. Many Makerfield and Wigan residents will already be enjoying our delicious fruit fillings and jams in bakery products on supermarket and craft bakery shelves, and we hope future site investment will lead to even more future career opportunities for people within Yvonne’s constituency.”