Karri Kitchen: Healthy able meal corporate enters liquidation

Products from the wholesome able meal corporate Karri Kitchen have disappeared from cabinets throughout Northern Ireland because the industry has entered liquidation.

The company, which used to be based totally in Craigavon, County Armagh, had expanded hastily during the last few years securing offers with Tesco, Lidl, Asda and Spar to transform one among NI’s largest able meal companies.

Karri Kitchen specialized in wholesome Asian-style foods reminiscent of Mongolian red meat noodles, firecracker hen and mango hen curry.

The liquidator mentioned the industry used to be “unable to meet rising production costs”.

The industry used to be began in 2019 via Shera McAloran with a mantra to “bring healthy south-east Asian cuisine to homes across Northern Ireland”.

The industry additionally seemed within the BBC programme Food Fest Northern Ireland that includes a few of their distinctive recipes.

The Statement of Affairs which used to be filed as a part of the liquidation procedure confirmed the industry had internet money owed of virtually £700,000 when it stopped buying and selling.

That integrated virtually £200,000 owed to a County Armagh meals corporate and £183,000 which have been loaned to the industry via one among its administrators, Chris McAloran.

The commentary additionally suggests the industry had 33 team of workers individuals.

A observe to the commentary says the creditor figures are taken from corporate information and one of the most quantities are disputed and a few usually are amended.

The industry had ceased buying and selling previous to its liquidation.

Lisa Lappin, from Baker Tilly Mooney Moore, used to be appointed to liquidate the industry.

“Karri Kitchen Ltd entered creditors voluntary liquidation on 16 April 2025,” she mentioned.

“Karri Kitchen Ltd was a fantastic local brand that produced excellent products and had a loyal customer base.

“Its loss as a novel side to the native financial system might be mourned, however the corporate used to be merely not able to satisfy emerging manufacturing prices and broader financial pressures.”

Alliance Party assembly member for Upper Bann Eoin Tennyson said the closure would be a big blow to the Craigavon area.

“Homegrown companies like Karri Kitchen are the lifeblood of our neighborhood, developing jobs, and supporting native provide chains,” he mentioned.

“This industry additionally made an important contribution to native meals banks and organisations supporting the ones the disaster.”

Food manufacturing is a highly competitive sector with low profit margins.

Even if you have a distinctive brand which gets onto supermarket shelves it is still a real challenge to build a sustainable business.

The challenge is even greater at a time when businesses are continuing to deal with elevated energy costs and a range of new employment costs.

That is mirrored within the feedback from Karri Kitchen’s liquidator which says the corporate used to be merely not able to satisfy emerging manufacturing prices and broader financial pressures.