Little Moons is set for major job cuts as it prepares to close its new Kettering factory – less than a year after it opened.
The new 50,000 sq ft plant opened in the first half of this year and was branded “a massive moment for all of us here at Little Moons”.
It was meant to become the main manufacturing hub for Little Moons, with plans to close its two London factories in 20,000 sq ft factory in Park Royal (which opened in 2020) and the original site in Wembley, to keep up with booming demand. In March it began a consultation with an unspecified number of employees at the two London factories over redundancies.
But after Little Moons undertook a review to ensure a “stable and profitable future” for the business, the facility is now set to close. Instead, the ball manufacturer will consolidate all manufacturing back into its sites at Park Royal and Wembley.
It is a major retreat for Little Moons. Set up by Howard and Wong in 2010, the ball ice cream brand became a darling of the food and drink scene after going viral on in 2021, and has undergone rapid expansion, winning listings in all the major multiples and gaining distribution in Australia, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, Norway, Spain and Croatia.
“These proposals may lead to job losses and staff affected by the proposal have been informed and are being formally consulted before any final decision is taken,” the company said in a statement.
Little Moons did not confirm how many staff are affected, but the Northamptonshire Telegraph has reported that up to 200 jobs are at risk. According to its latest accounts for 2022, Little Moons employed 350 people, over 250 of whom worked in its factories but this was before the Kettering factory opened.
Former Graze boss Joanna Allen joined Little Moons as its new CEO in June, following the departure of Mike Hedges.
Hedges joined the business in 2022 after private equity firm L Catterton bought a minority stake to help spur growth. Following its rapid international growth across Europe and the rest of the world it was named Exporter of the Year at the Grocer Gold Awards 2023. Howard and Vivien Wong had previously won the Entrepreneur of the Year prize at the 2022 Grocer Gold Awards.
Little Moons has not yet filed its accounts for 2023, but in the 18 months to 30 December 2022 total sales rose to £68m from £25m on the previous 12-month period. It meant revenue more than doubled on a comparative basis.
In September, Little Moons expanded beyond ice cream for the first time, unveiling a trio of bite-sized frozen cheesecake desserts.
1 Readers' comment