A North-Wales abattoir is to re-open after administrators secured the
sale of the facility to Ireland-based Sher Foods for an undisclosed
amount.
The sale of the troubled Cig Cibyn abattoir in Caernarfon has been
welcomed by local farmers. It brings to an end the uncertainty
surrounding the future of one of only two remaining abattoirs in North
Wales and will help maintain the competitiveness of the region’s
livestock industry.
Joint administrators CLB Coopers and Gwynedd Council said that the new
owners of the plant plan to embark on a major overhaul and upgrade to
both the buildings and working practices in order to improve
productivity and raise standards. The work will take place over the
next few weeks with a view to return to full operation as soon as
possible.
Councillor Dewi Lewis, who leads on Economy and Regeneration at Gwynedd
Council said: “We are very pleased that this important facility will
re-open for use in the near future. “As a Council we have worked
closely with the administrators to ensure a viable future for the
abattoir so that it can serve the area’s food producers, and provide
much-needed employment opportunities for local workers.
Mark Getliffe of CLB Coopers added: “We are very pleased to have
secured this sale and wish to thank the purchaser and Gwynedd Council
for the professional way in which it has been handled. We are
continuing with our job of realising assets particularly book debts and
are hopeful that we will be paying a dividend to the unsecured
creditors before the end of the year.”
Sher Foods is run by Arfan Sher Rafique, the son of post-war Pakistani
immigrant Sher Mohammad Rafique, who established United Meat Packers
(UMP) in the 1970s, which became one of the world’s top traders in lamb
and beef.
