Simtom Food Products calls in administrators as Covid derails growth plans

Indian sauces manufacturer Simtom Food Products has called in administrators after the business has been badly hit by the Covid-19 lockdowns.

The Desford-based family business has invested heavily in growing its operations in the last few years, but plans for implementation were hampered as the lockdowns forced catering businesses to close.

Simtom manufactures a range of traditional Indian sauces, marinades, pickles and chutneys which it supplies to supermarkets and caterers.

The recent labour shortages have added more pressure on the business, resulting in the appointment of Interpath Advisory as the administrator.

The company directly employed approximately 60 people, alongside an additional 40 agency workers. The majority of these staff were already made redundant.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the implementation of Simtom’s strategic plans which when coupled with the recent labour shortages has had a significant impact on this award-winning food manufacturer,” Tim Bateson, director at Interpath Advisory and joint administrator, said.

“Our immediate priority is to support those employees who have been made redundant, providing them with the information and support they need to make claims via the Redundancy Payments Office.

“We will be seeking offers for the business and its assets, and would encourage any interested parties to make their interest known at the earliest opportunity.”

Simtom is founded in 1977 by Jai Chandarana, who arrived in the UK following the eviction of the ethnic Asian community from Tanzania in the early 1970s.