Northern Foods has put the brakes on plans to shed up to 1,000 jobs at its Fox’s biscuit-making division but it will press ahead with cutting 220 posts as it seeks further production automation.

The company, a leading supplier of private-label ready meals, sandwiches, salads and biscuits to Britain’s supermarket chains, said on Tuesday it would push ahead with £26.5m ($44.3m) investment in extending robotic production and packing at its three biscuit plants in Batley, Kirkham and Uttoxeter.