Butchers business goes belly up

Price and Fretwell, an award-winning butcher serving the catering trade, has entered administration, citing “the ongoing knock-on effects of COVID-19” as the cause of its collapse.

The company ceased trading at the end of December, with Louise Williams and Ian McCulloch from Opus Restructuring appointed as joint administrators on December 30.

All 34 employees were made redundant.

The firm, which is based in Tibshelf, posted a notice of intention to appoint administrators through law firm Wilkes Partnership at the start of December last year.

Originally established 30 years ago as a small village butcher shop in Blackwell, Price and Fretwell grew into a family-owned catering butcher that served trade customers and the public across the East Midlands and South Yorkshire.

In its latest available accounts, made up to September 30 2023, Price and Fretwell owed creditors some £1.2m.

A statement from the administrators said: “We can confirm that Louise Williams and Ian McCulloch of Opus Restructuring were appointed as joint administrators over Price and Fretwell on 30th December 2024. The company ceased to trade at the beginning of December, partially due to the ongoing knock-on effects of COVID-19. Unfortunately, all 34 employees were made redundant prior to the administration. We understand the challenges this situation has caused for those affected and are currently assessing the company’s financial position.”