KP Snacks has announced it will axe its vegetable crisps range following plans to close its Tyrrells factory in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire.
The decision follows a "sustained" decline in demand for the product and the loss of crucial export volumes.
The snacks giant confirmed its intention to shut down the site, which is dedicated to producing Tyrrells vegetable crisps.
While the exact number of employees affected has not yet been disclosed, KP Snacks stated it would endeavour to minimise redundancies as part of the closure process.
In a statement, a company spokesperson said: “As a result, we are proposing to close the Uttoxeter site where these products are manufactured.
“While no final decisions have been made, we appreciate this is an uncertain time for our colleagues at Uttoxeter and we are supporting them throughout the consultation process.
“Should the proposal progress, we will explore any ways to reduce or avoid redundancies where possible.”
It stressed there were no planned changes to its other Tyrrells potato crisp ranges which it said “are not affected and continue to perform strongly”.
Herefordshire potato farmer William Chase founded Tyrrells in 2002.
He turned his hand to crisp-making when his margins as a potato farmer were wiped out by the supermarkets.
The crisps gain their flavour through the use of special potato varieties such as Lady Rosetta.
He sold Tyrrells to private equity firm Langholm Capital in 2008 for £40 million.
It has since changed hands a number of times before being bought by KP Snacks owner Intersnack from The Hershey Company in 2018.
The crisps are sold in dozens of countries, with its biggest markets outside the UK being the US, Canada, France and Germany.
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