Popular baker Morton's Rolls has been saved from going bust and will restart its ovens later this week with only half its staff being made redundant.
The Glasgow-based roll-maker announced that it has been taken over by a consortium and will now resume trading on Sunday.
Up to 250 jobs were feared to have been lost when the firm, based in Glasgow’s Drumchapel area, collapsed on 3 March.
The bakery will now restart production on Sunday with 100 staff, though it has said it intends to grow this number if support can be found.
Established in 1965, generations of Glaswegians have enjoyed Morton's products, with their crispy rolls often being the only variety available on Sundays.
Many swear it is the best roll to pair with bacon or fried square sausage, though this is disputed.
The firm’s collapse was blamed on the Covid pandemic and the rise in energy prices, exacerbated by contractual obligations to large supermarkets.
A consortium of investors entered negotiations with HMRC, administrators and the Scottish Government with a view to ensuring that the business will continue trading.
READ MORE: Drumchapel's Mortons Rolls has ceased trading putting 250 jobs at risk
The consortium - PVL - are being represented by John McIlvogue, and have now taken ownership and control of the company’s assets.
Mr McIlvogue said: “This is a bittersweet moment for me, for the people who work here and for the wider community that relies on the jobs this factory provides.
“None of us wanted the past couple of weeks to unfold in the way that they have, but it has been entirely outwith our control.
“The important thing now is that Morton’s is back in action, we’ve got the workforce back on the production line, and we’re ready to start producing our famous rolls that the good people of Glasgow have been crying out for.”
He added the firm would need help going forward, but undoubtedly remains “viable”, with a “world-class product” and experienced workforce.
Mr McIlvogue said: “In an ideal world these things would have all been sorted out before we restarted production, but the reality is we couldn’t leave the workforce in limbo.
“They needed us to unlock the gates and let them get back to work, and we knew that was the right and proper thing to do.
READ MORE: Mortons Rolls issue redundancy letters to staff
“The love and support shown to Morton’s in the past couple of weeks has been incredible – only in Glasgow would a morning roll solicit such affection, but it shows the power of this brand and it shows the potential of what we could achieve in the years to come.
“We are absolutely committed to getting this right, to putting Morton’s on a sustainable footing and an upward trajectory, but we are being honest and upfront in our assertion that we will need support to do so.
“Glasgow doesn’t need to worry about having nae rolls anymore; Morton’s is back.”
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