Poussin supplier calls in administrators

A buyer is being sought for Harrisons Poultry Limited, the UK’s leading specialist supplier of poussin, after the company went into administration in January.

The company is continuing to trade and the administrator is hopeful a buyer can be found for it as a going concern, citing “its position in the market as a major domestic and foreign supplier of poussin to supermarkets and the halal trade”.

Harrisons Poultry is based at Antrobus, near Northwich, Cheshire, and employs around 74 people. Its difficulties were caused by severe competition in the market place resulting in low sales and poor prices, say the administrators.

Established in 1972 by the Harrison family, Harrisons Poultry produces around 4.7m birds a year and turned over £7.2m in 2009.

In December 2009, Harrisons lost a planning appeal at the High Court in Birmingham over the operation of a poultry rendering plant, which when combined with the legal costs added further financial pressure.

John Twizell for the administrators Geoffrey Martin & Co, said: “Harrisons Poultry Limited is one of those British companies which supplies a fantastic, high quality product but has unfortunately come across some hard times.

“With the ever increasing interest in food, and more importantly UK and locally grown produce, this is a business and a product which is incredibly relevant to today’s consumers and we are hopeful of finding a buyer.”