West VEG Limited (04374415): administration
- Status
- Administration ended
- Administration began
- 2013-04-11
- Administrators
- Stephen Mark Katz, Paul Robert Appleton
- Administrators' firm
- David Rubin & Partners
- Incorporated
- 2002-02-14
- Location
- London
- Industry
- 46310 Wholesale of fruit and vegetables
Why it went into administration
- Weather / natural events
- Weak consumer demand
- Funding withdrawn / unable to refinance
- HMRC / tax arrears
- Competition / price pressure
From the administrators' statement
41 The Company began trading shortly after incorporation in 2002 under the tradmg name Secretts Direct The directors, Vernon Mascarhenas and Gregg Wallace recognised that there was a lack of seasonal fresh English produce in London and they were looking to exploit this gap in the market Mr Mascarhenas has acquired over 25 years experience as a restaurateur, whilst Mr Wallace has operated a number of successful companies producing and distributing fresh produce and has worked in the Covent Garden Market throughout his working life They approached Mr Charles Secrett, the owner of Secretts Farm and Garden Centre in Milford, Surrey, and a distribution licensing agreement was subsequently entered into, which allowed the Company to use the Secretts name and to distribute produce from the farm to restaurants in London Secretts Farm contains a farm shop and a farmers’ market and continues to trade
42 The business started with the directors each taking it mn turns to drive a van full of produce from the farm to restaurants and chefs who were known to them, and direct sales were made using the strategy This evolved into customers making orders in order to acquire the best produce, and as the customer base grew, a driver, night packer and sales person were added to the payroll
43 Due to the initial success of the Company, the busmess was able to expand further, and proceeded to utilise multiple farms in the Home Counties from which to source tts produce, in order to distribute to London restaurants and businesses using a fleet of vans This culminated in the Company being approached in 2004 by Restaurant Associates, part of Compass Group UK and Ireland, for the supply of fresh local produce to over 54 Restaurant Associates’ client sites
Administrators' statement of proposals (2013-06-11) · Companies House register