crawshaws

The retailer suffered £15.9m losses over the past two and a half years

The collapse of listed retail butchers business Crawshaw Group has left creditors claiming to be more than £15m out of pocket, newly filed documents reveal.

Crawshaw Group shut 35 of its 54-store portfolio across the north and Midlands when it crashed into administration in October following a failed turnaround plan.

A £1.4m rescue deal saw Irish entrepreneur Thomas Cribbin save 19 stores and a Rotherham factory, which continue to trade under the Crawshaws brand, saving 250 jobs at the beleaguered chain.

Newly filed documents issued by administrator Ernst & Young reveal that the butcher chain was facing claims from creditors of more than £15.8m, including more than £8m in intercompany loans.

Outside of the loans, the largest debts are owed to landlords, who have made claims totalling more than £6.7m.

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A number of local authorities are listed as seeking repayment, including a claim of £880k to North East Lincolnshire Council.

Trade creditors, including a number of major meat suppliers, claimed debts of £1.7m, according to the filings. However, recent claims meant these could now be “up to £3m”, said an EY spokeswoman.

Claims from trade creditors included the payment of £183k to 2 Sisters, £67k to Dawn Meats, £22k to Moy Park and £77k to Premier Quality Foods.

The AIM-listed retailer called in insolvency specialists after suffering more than £15.9m in losses over the past two-and-a-half financial years, the administrator’s report stated.