Fruit and juices supplier faces uncertain future as axed workers go unpaid
Orchard House Foods, the Northants prepared fruit and juices supplier, is facing an uncertain future after it filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators on Tuesday (January 10), TheBusinessDesk.com understands.
The move will protect the company from creditor action for up to 10 days while it attempts to find a way forward, and comes after Orchard House Foods temporarily closed two of its factories over the weekend – blaming supply issues, says Just-Food.com.
Meanwhile, the same trade title is reporting that staff made redundant before Christmas at Orchard House Foods, after it closed its facility in Gateshead, still haven’t received severance payments.
Orchard House Foods is a supplier of prepared fruit, fresh fruit drinks and chilled desserts to retailers across the UK and Ireland, including Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Greggs and Pret a Manger. It operates from Corby in Northamptonshire.
In its latest accounts, made up to the end of June 2021, turnover at the company dropped by £7.3m to £113.5m, while losses widened by almost £1.3m to just under £5m.
In April 2021, the firm landed a £21.7m asset-based lending facility from Secure Trust Commercial Finance. It is thought it is now in talks with lenders to try and secure funds to continue trading.
Orchard House was sold to private equity firm Elaghmore in a £25m deal in January 2021.
