Helston’s Warrens factory is to close on Friday after two decades in the town, with the loss of 11 jobs.

The factory, which has been based on the Water-ma-Trout industrial estate for more than 20 years, is primarily used for the creation of sandwiches.

However Mark Sullivan, chairman of Warrens, said that a changing market was seeing sandwiches increasingly being produced in-store, leading to the “unfortunate” decision to close one of its three factories.

Mr Sullivan said: “The overriding message that has come through from customers is they want fresh produce. We have had to react to that. What we have been forced to do is move our production in to the retail units. Otherwise, we are frankly going to be behind the game as an organisation.”

It means that staff in the Warrens shop in Meneage Street – as well as the majority of its high street branches – will soon be making the sandwiches freshly in front of customers.

In the future this would allow for even more interesting products to be created on site.

Mr Sullivan said the 11 staff at the Helston factory had been offered three or four available positions elsewhere in the company, but for various reasons were all taking redundancy.

“It’s unfortunate but it’s a business we’re trying to modernise and make sure we’re in touch with customer demands. It’s about Warrens as an overall organisation doing the right thing for the business and customers,” added the chairman, who said the company was “moving with the times.”

“I think we have done something here that will help to safeguard retail as a whole. The workforce in its entirety has a future and the business goes forward.”

Mr Sullivan said the Helston factory would need investment and upgrading to continue further.

Warrens still has a large factory at St Just, which produces the savoury goods, and another in Plymouth.

Photo by EF. Caption: The Warrens factory on Helston’s Water-ma-Trout industrial estate will close on Friday.