Breakfast news lament: Morton’s Rolls ‘ceases trading’

By Bill Heaney

I remember their salesmen for Morton’s going round the houses in their vans shouting ro–ells, ro-ells.

And I remember too some of my pals making a few bob delivering them to families who would have them for breakfast along with a tasty slice of square sausage.

People usually asked for “a roll on square sausage” instead of “square sausage on a roll,” but that only matters to folk like me who have to write it down.

Scottish bakery Morton’s Rolls were a treat most us loved. If we didn’t have them for breakfast, we had them for lunch and even dinner.

At the time I am referring to here, dinner time was in the middle of the day.

Only posh folk ate lunch and the working classes had their tea when they came home from the school or the shipyard.

Sadly, it was reported over the weekend that  Morton’s Rolls is understood to have ceased trading after missing a deadline to file accounts.

In a letter to staff on Friday, the firm wrote that employees would be “laid off with immediate effect”.

The Glasgow-based bakery, which employs about 250 people, said that “no final decision” had been taken on redundancies but all jobs were at risk.

Companies House states on its website that there is an “active proposal to strike off” the firm.

Morton’s Rolls accounts for the year to 31 March 2022 were required to be filed by 31 December and are now overdue.

Last month, compulsory strike-off action was suspended on 9 February, two days after it was announced by Companies House.

But in the letter to staff on Friday, the firm wrote: “The company is ceasing to trade with immediate effect. The directors have taken steps to ensure that the business can continue in some form.

“But it is likely that this will be with a reduced workforce across the business.”

Bill Kidd, SNP MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, told BBC Scotland he was “taken aback” by the letter and had arranged a meeting with the company’s management.

He said: “There has been issues in the past but we’ve got good relations with Morton’s Rolls, they are terrific company and are a very important employer in Drumchapel.

“Morton’s Rolls is a famous name and we want to ensure that is maintained and even developed into the future.  Everything that can be done will be done to save this business will be done.”

Morton’s Rolls was originally founded by Bob Morton and Jim Clarke in 1965 at their bakery near Drumchapel.

Over the years, Morton’s expanded its product range to include cakes and savories.

The company’s flagship product is its traditional crispy roll.

For the year to the end of March 2021, the company reported a loss of £262,000 on turnover of more than £11.8 million.

Morton’s Rolls has been approached for comment.

Glasgow Labour MSP Paul Sweeney was tonight lamenting the the consequences of as Mortons closure and said he would be lobbying the government to help the company find the necessary investment to keep them going.