IT is the end of an era for food workers in York today, as the city’s Del Monte factory closes its doors for the final time.

Sam Vickers, organising regional secretary for the Bakers Food and Allied Workers’ Union, called it “a sad day for York” as the factory, which employed 130 to 140 staff, prepared to shut tonight.

He added: “I don’t think the company has tried hard enough and I don’t think they have considered options which would make just some people redundant rather than all of them.”

The union represents 11 workers at the factory and Mr Vickers said: “I know we only have a few members in there, but that doesn’t make it any better. At the end of the day, it’s still people losing their jobs.

“Other than that, there’s not really much more I can say.”

Mr Vickers had been helping to negotiate better redundancy deals for the workers last week.

Staff at the Shipton Road site were warned in February that the site could be closed after the company lost a contract supplying salads and coleslaw to supermarket chain Morrisons. Del Monte is understood to have been pursuing business with Asda, but even if this proved successful, it was uncertain if it would help save the York factory.

The site was set up as the headquarters for Wrights of York, which was famous for its pork pies and Yorkshire patties, in the 1960s and has been the home of food manufacturing for various companies including Freshbake Foods, Campbell’s and the Albert Fisher Group. It was bought by Fresh Del Monte Produce in 2002 after the previous owners, Fisher Foods, went into administration.

When contacted by The Press, Del Monte refused to comment on the situation. Staff are understood have been banned from speaking to the media.