'They gave us no warning - it was the worst day of my life'

Workers who lost their jobs when a food company went into administration said they were given no notice prior to its collapse.

More than 650 people were made redundant after Kanes Foods, near Evesham, was declared insolvent on Monday.

The BBC has spoken to several ex-employees, who said they received an email on Monday afternoon telling them not to turn up the next day.

Stoyan Paskov, a 34-year-old father, said: "They gave us no warning - it was the worst day of my life."

The company's affairs are now being handled by administrators PwC, which said Kanes had faced "significant financial and operational challenges over the last few years".

The firm dates back to 1990 and sold pre-packaged salads, stir-fry products and sauces to several major UK supermarkets.

Paskov, who was a dispatch operative, said: "On Monday I checked my emails in the afternoon, and it said 'this is our last day, the company has gone into administration'.

"I said to my manager, 'have you received this spam'?

"Then I talked to my colleagues and everyone confirmed 'that's it, we're all finished' and I just thought, 'oh my God'."

Paskov said it was "a huge shock" for all of them, especially so close to Christmas.

"Many kids won't get the presents they deserve," he added.

"The worst thing of all is that they didn't give us any notice - I've still got to pay my rent, it's a very bad situation."

Other workers who spoke to the BBC - who did not wish to be named - said they were angry about the firm's struggles "being kept a secret".

One ex-employee said: "We worked for nothing for the last two weeks, and on 9 November we were sent home.

"Everybody kept it secret, [the week beforehand] nobody said nothing - no notice, no nothing.

"We will fight for our rights, that's all I can say."

PwC's report cited the summer drought as one factor in the firm's demise, as well as the failure of its wastewater treatment plant in 2025 that led to a lasting increase in running costs.

The leader of Wychavon District Council said they were willing to work with the administrators to help the workers find new employment.

Councillor Richard Morris added: "Our thoughts are with everyone who's lost their jobs following the collapse of Kanes Foods, and with their families at what will be an incredibly difficult and worrying time.

"Kanes has been one of Wychavon's business success stories and a major employer for many years, so its loss is incredibly sad."

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