Glens of Antrim, a crisp company whose products were sold in Tesco and Sainsbury's, has closed after 54 years. The company blamed rising costs in farming, including employment costs and fuel and energy prices.
Glens of Antrim said running the business was no longer financially viable. Interpath has been appointed as administrators, with the majority of the firm's 95 staff members made redundant.
Administration and asset sale
A small number of staff have been kept on during the administration process. The former headquarters near Ballymena have gone on sale for £2.6 million.
Stuart Irwin, managing director at Interpath, said: “Glens of Antrim has been growing and supplying potatoes across Ireland for over 50 years, so this is a tremendously sad outcome for the business, its dedicated team, the agri-food sector in Northern Ireland, and the wider community.”
Company history and products
Based in Ballymena and Cushendall, Northern Ireland, the brand began in 1972 as a potato supplier before launching crisps in 2018. Sold in Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury's, the firm produced a range of signature flavours.
A number of UK food manufacturers have hit trouble this year. Fairoak Foods, Millennium Dough Company, Every Fresh Dairy and King Foods have entered administration.
Other food firms in administration
Surrey-based chilled and private-label food manufacturer Fairoak entered administration, appointing Quantuma to oversee the process. Millennium Dough, operated out of Greenford, West London for over 34 years, collapsed into administration owing around £1.5 million in liabilities.
London-based dairy processor Every Fresh went into voluntary liquidation or administration as a result of falling market prices. Aberdeenshire meat and seafood processing supplier King Foods ceased trading and appointed administrators following prolonged adverse trading conditions.
