Bernard Matthews Cooked Meats saw sales fall by £64 million to £110.6 million last year.

In 2007 nearly 160,000 birds were culled at the base in Suffolk. The BBC reported yesterday that 300 factory jobs and 90 management positions have been lost at the Bernard Matthews head office in Great Witchingham, near Norwich.

A spokesperson from Bernard Matthews explained the figures and highlighted the steps it is taking to move the business forward: "Firstly, it's important to note that the recent AC Nielsen report only referred to Bernard Matthews' Cooked Meats and didn't take into account the two other areas of our business: the Bernard Matthews 'Meal Centre' and our 'Traditional whole birds and joints'.

 

"Last year's bird flu outbreak did impact upon the business and in particular Cooked Meats, however we are seeing a gradual recovery in our sales of Cooked Meats. We have a clear strategy in place which is to focus back on our core business of British turkey farming with the objective of ensuring future sustainable growth for the Company.


"Furthermore, we have listened to our customers and we've already removed all artificial colours and flavours from our entire range as well as lowering the fat and salt contents from many of our products without compromising on taste or quality. Bernard Matthew is currently the largest free range turkey producer in the UK and we remain committed to growing this area of the business further in line with changing consumer demand."

 

The increased price of animal feed and production costs have also been attributed to the drop in sales.