Jobs at risk as chain of butcher’s shops close
A CHAIN OF butcher’s shops across the North of England and the Midlands has closed a succession of stores leading to the loss of 350 jobs.
The announcement yesterday of the redundancies and 35 shop closures and a distribution centre at Crawshaw follows the appointment of administrators to the group on Friday after it failed to secure additional funding.
Administrators from EY said they had entered into discussions with parties with a view to agreeing a sale of the business in the coming weeks. A rescue deal could safeguard the remaining 261 staff with the business.
Just 19 stores remain open after 35 outlets ceased to trade over the weekend, while a distribution centre in Astley, near Wigan, has been closed. Another facility in Hellaby, near Rotherham, remains open.
The collapse of the company came after several years of financial losses. According to its latest set of results for the six months to July 29, the group posted revenue of £21.6m and a pre-tax loss of £1.7m.
Food mogul Ranjit Boparan holds a near 30 per cent stake in the business and his 2 Sisters Food Group also supplies Crawshaw.
The “chicken king” – so-called because of 2 Sisters’ large-scale involvement in the poultry trade – is also an adviser to the board. Shares in the AIM-listed company were suspended last week as it issued a notice of its intention to appoint administrators.