Sacked bakery workers get some serious dough to start new firm

A GROUP of bakery workers axed from an East Lothian factory have set up a new company just days after losing their jobs.

Around 30 workers were told they no longer had a job at Fords Bakery in Prestonpans after it went into liquidation last week.

Six of the employees, including former Fords bakery manager Gary Dalgetty, have now joined forces and registered a new company - East Coast Rolls - and plan to open up their own distribution centre.

Mr Dalgetty was contacted by Glasgow-based Morton's Rolls Ltd after the Evening News reported Fords - a bakery and confectionery producer which had an annual turnover of 5 million - had gone bust.

Morton's Rolls Ltd offered to support the workers to set up a distribution centre in Edinburgh which would provide Morton's products to bakers and shops in Edinburgh, Midlothian and East Lothian.

Mr Dalgetty, a father-of-two from Dalkeith, said: "All of a sudden the world looked a wee bit greener and the sun was shining in the morning.

"I have got to pay my mortgage - and quickly. My wife was worried sick when I lost my job. We don't know if this will work but we will give it our best. We are delighted that Morton's is backing us. We will be exploring every avenue to get this going and need the local people to support us."

The group of workers are taking to the streets of Edinburgh and the Lothians armed with leaflets about the new business, and samples of the produce that the centre would supply, in a bid to sign up customers.

Mr Dalgetty, 50, added: "If the centre takes off, we would need office staff, people to load vans, distribute the food and run the centre - maybe ten to 15 bodies in the long term."

Mr Dalgetty - a director of the new company - said it was still "really early days" and added: "If it wasn't for Morton's financially backing us, we wouldn't be able to do it. They are helping us tremendously.

"We are looking for any financial help we can get - sponsors, grants.

"We are trying to get the local community behind us."

Managing director of Morton's Rolls Ltd, Jim Timmins, 42, said: "We felt really bad about what had happened to the workers. If the distribution centre is successful, we will open a state-of-the-art bakery to supply Edinburgh from Edinburgh."

Morton's Rolls Ltd will provide funding to set the unit up and is also supplying the former Fords workers with a van to travel around the area and sign up new customers.