Overview
- The Inverurie factory on Harlaw Road closed on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, leaving roughly 90 staff redundant at that site and bringing total job losses to about 120 after earlier cuts.
- DukesHill acquired Donald Russell’s direct-to-consumer brand and assets but did not buy the Inverurie factory, moving the business’s UK operations to its existing Shropshire facilities.
- The buyer said remaining employees were transferred under TUPE, which preserves certain terms of employment during a sale, and that a 30-day collective redundancy consultation left further job cuts unavoidable.
- Local politicians and suppliers warned the closure threatens the region’s meat supply chain and the livelihoods of farmers who relied on Donald Russell’s long-standing Inverurie links.
- DukesHill has said its priority is to restore Donald Russell’s customer and supplier relationships and invest in the brand’s future from Shropshire while the company handles employment matters for affected staff.