Colman’s Mustard to close Norwich factory after 160 years

The mustard-maker Colman’s is to close its factory in Norwich after 160 years following a decision by parent company Unilever to move production elsewhere in the UK and Germany.

Founded in 1814, the firm has been producing mustard on the same site in East Anglia since 1858. About 40 of the 113 jobs at the factory will move to Burton upon Trent, which is home to Unilever’s Marmite and Bovril brands. About 25 jobs will be created at a new plant in Norfolk, which means “the packing of mustard powder and the milling of the seed will remain in the Norwich area”, says the Eastern Daily Press.

Work packing Colman’s dry sauces will be transferred to an existing Unilever plant in Germany.

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In October, The Sun said a decision by Britvic to quit the production site in Norwich, which it shares with Colman’s, made it likely Unilever would also decide to pull out.

Local and MPs and unions have expressed anger at the move. Chloe Smith, the Conservative MP for Norwich North, said Unilever's decision was “bitterly disappointing”.

But Clive Lewis, Labour MP for Norwich South, sought to tie the move directly to Britain’s decision to leave the EU. He wrote on Facebook: “You also wonder whether Unilever’s choice to shift some production inside the single market (Germany) is connected to this government’s disastrous Brexit policy.”