©Colman's/Unilever as cited by ITV
The Colman’s factory in Norwich, which made the brand’s mustard and has been in production for 165 years, will close this evening, according to an article by ITV.
J & J Colman’s moved to the Carrow site in 1854 to expand production of the mustard which has since become synonymous with the city.
Following Britvic’s decision to close its Norwich factory on the shared site, Unilever – the owner of Colman’s – announced in 2018 that it would close the mustard brand’s factory with plans to move the bulk of its production to Burton-upon-Trent and Germany.
While the last production of jarred Colman’s mustard at the Norwich factory took place last July, the factory has since been used for other Colman’s products.
The company ensured that it would maintain a historic connection between Norfolk and Colman’s mustard through a new partnership with the local growers’ consortium Condimentum.
The partnership, which was confirmed by Unilever in May 2019, meant that Unilever would support the establishment of Condimentum with an initial 10-year supply agreement and significant capital investment into a new facility near Norfolk.
By opening a new mustard and mint milling facility at the Norfolk Food Enterprise Park at Easton, Unilever claims to have maintained the area’s historic link to the British brand.
According to ITV, Condimentum has finished building the mustard flour milling operation and is finalising its new mint processing facility ready for full production next week.
The new 25,000 square-foot mill will reportedly process 5,000 tonnes of mustard seed annually, as well as 1,000 tonnes of fresh mint leaf each year to produce mustard flour and blended mint for Colman’s condiments.
“In a world of constant change, after an amazing 165 years at Carrow, we’re all so pleased that the Colman’s brand stays connected to Norwich through the opening of Condimentum’s new mill, with some of our colleagues now working there and continuing to share their knowledge and expertise,” said Andy Watts, factory manager at Unilever’s Carrow site, as cited by ITV.
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