ABP to acquire Pilgrim’s Europe lamb business and Llanidloes facility

Meat processor ABP has announced a proposed acquisition of the lamb business owned by Pilgrim’s Europe. The deal includes a Welsh processing facility located in Llanidloes, which is situated in a key sheep-producing region. If the acquisition proceeds, staff at the Llanidloes site are expected to transfer to ABP under TUPE arrangements.

As part of a strategic review, Pilgrim’s Europe intends to focus on its core pork, poultry, and value-added business sectors. Consequently, the company has begun a consultation process regarding the planned closure of its retail packing operation in Andover, which is scheduled for late January 2027. Pilgrim’s Europe stated it aims to retain affected employees through alternative employment opportunities within its UK operations. The Andover site is not included in the ABP acquisition, as ABP already maintains existing lamb deboning and retail packing capabilities across its UK network.