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Cookeze Limited, a Lancashire-based catering firm partly owned by chef Nigel Smith, has collapsed into administration amid the ongoing pandemic.
The firm, which traded as Patisserie by Nigel Smith, was founded in 2010. Its clients included Manchester United, Liverpool FC, Jockey Club, Brasserie Blanc and Malmaison Hotels.
Although turnover last year was £1.5m, the event-catering venture had recently suffered losses in light of event cancellations amid the ongoing pandemic.
The company was forced to cease trading on 24 March, and 72 employees have now been made redundant.
Dean Watson, from Begbies Traynor, and Neil Dingley, from Moore in Stoke, have been appointed as joint administrators of the company.
They are now seeking interested parties who may be “attracted by a recent major investment in state-of-the-art commercial kitchen space at 48,000 sg ft headquarters in Chorley.”
Dean Watson, partner at Begbies Traynor, said: “Covid‐19 has seen the sports-related events where the company excelled cancelled.
“The immediate cashflow challenge this presented as well as recent significant investment in a high specification modern office complex and commercial kitchen equipment has taken its toll.”
He added: “We are in the process of updating staff and providing information on how to claim for their entitlements and advising creditors of the position.
“In the meantime, we are looking for interested parties who may be strongly attracted by the fact it was, until very recently, a successful business with blue chip clients, talented staff and outstanding facilities.”
He added that the pandemic will continue to “severely impact” many other similar events-based businesses who are “not geared up to weather the storm over the summer of 2020”.
