‘Many of the employees live in my ward... it’s very sad news’

Cllr Nathan Iliffe (Con) - who represents the Kennington ward on Ashford Borough Council says he is “very saddened to hear of potential job losses”.

He said: “Brakes is an important employer in Ashford, having had a presence in and around the town since its establishment 62 years ago.

“Its current head office is located close to my ward of Kennington, which was also home to one of the founding brothers, Frank Brake, for many years before his death in 2018.

“As with most other parts of the Ashford area, many Brakes employees will live in Kennington.

“The hospitality industry is one the hardest hit sectors of the Covid-19 pandemic and the potential loss of so many jobs so close by brings this home to us.

“It appears that the extensive government assistance Brakes received, including through the job retention scheme and additional Covid response contracts and payments, may not be considered sufficient enough for the company to keep hold of its staff and so it has taken the decision to consider redundancies here in Ashford.

“It is a heartbreaking and difficult period for local employees and my heartfelt sympathies go out to them.”

In March, Sainsbury’s started selling giant tins of baked beans to meet growing demand which were provided by Brakes.

Last year, the firm refused to comment on claims it had personal guarantees from celebrity chef Jamie Oliver to supply his restaurant chain which had gone into administration.

Brakes is one of the biggest UK suppliers to the catering trade