Yorkshire yogurt maker Hesper Farm Dairy has ceased trading in the face of spiralling costs, with liquidators seeking buyers for the brand and assets.
Howard Smith and Rick Harrison from insolvency firm Interpath Advisory were appointed as joint liquidators to the business on 25 August 2022
Hesper pivoted from a traditional family farm to producing Icelandic-style skyr yogurt products in 2015 in a bid to deal with fluctuations in milk prices.
Sam Moorhouse, part of the third generation at the farm, gained retail listings for the yoghurt - the first Icelandic-style skyr to be made in the UK from British cow’s milk - including local distribution to Morrisons and Booths stores in the north of England.
The Skipton-based business secured six-figure investment in 2019 to boost production and expand further.
However, the impact of increasing logistics costs, coupled with broader economic headwinds, meant that a number of its contracts had become lossmaking in recent months, according to liquidators.
Hesper ceased to trade prior to the start of the liquidation process, with all five employees made redundant.
“As the first UK farm to produce skyr, Hesper Farm Dairy was something of a pioneer, successfully supplying into a variety of stores, from local artisan shops to some of the UK’s leading supermarkets,” Smith said.
“However, like so many other small businesses operating in the food and drink sector, the company faced challenges in scaling up the business and the pressure this puts on costs and margins over the medium term.”
Interpath is seeking buyers for the company’s assets, including the brand, as well as plant and machinery.
“We would advise any interested parties to contact our agent, Walker Singleton, as soon as possible,” Smith added.
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