Spalding area onion packer takes on additional staff after seeing increase in demand at supermarkets

A South Holland onion packer has taken on more staff after seeing a 25% increase in sales in recent weeks.

Moulton Bulb Company has seen orders for onions and garlic rocket since February as more people are cooking at home.

The company, which is the largest onion packer in the UK, along with growing its own crops, has recruited an additional 30 members of staff in three weeks.

A total of 180 applications were submitted to the company.

Robert Oldershaw, an Oldershaw Group director, wanted to employ staff rather than rely on labour providers to meet this demand, which could be maintained for the rest of the year.

He said: “People have to eat and they do their shopping in the supermarkets we serve and we are doing our utmost to ensure we feed the nation.

“We were delighted when the Government allowed furloughed people to come and work in different industries, such as the food sector, which freed up a good proportion of staff to come to work for us.

“In recent weeks we have employed some really good local people who have enhanced the business.

“I would like to thank everyone at Moulton Bulb Company for working so hard on the front line to provide fresh produce for the nation.”

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The company has grown from a family farming businesses, founded by the late Gilbert Oldershaw, into one of the country’s largest onion packers.

Moulton Bulb Company selects 25% of the country’s supermarket volume from the site in Long Lane.

Normally, the firm would be expecting to pack around 1,400 tonnes of onions for supermarkets.

But in recent weeks this has increased to 1,800 tonnes a week and this went up even higher during one exceptional week.

Mr Oldershaw said: “We packed 2,000 tonnes during one week in March when people were panic buying.”

Moulton Bulb Company produces as lot of its own produce. Onions are grown in its fields in the Moulton and Fosdyke areas.

The firm also works with other growers in the eastern region, including Norfolk and Suffolk.

It also does import some stock from the southern hemisphere.

Onions are harvested between July and October.

Mr Oldershaw said: “The last season was reasonably favourable with the number of onions grown. There is a reasonable amount around so there is no great pressure.”