The world’s first multi-national corporation closes & famous British beer name is sold out of administration.
A week can be a long time in politics and in business too.
With the joint US/Israel attack on Iran ongoing, there has not been much change to your business energy bills and petrol pump prices yet – but these things have a habit of developing a life of their own.
Hopefully you’re making your own contingency plans and in the meantime have some time to catch up on all the interesting and important business and insolvency news stories from the past seven days.
So if you want to know why CCJs against businesses have risen to their highest levels in seven years; practical advice on the first thing directors must do if they receive a CCJ; why SMEs are feeling the strain in particular these past few months; why a CIFAS marker could destroy your business if ignored and how to best protect the crown jewels (intellectual property) of your business – you can read all these stories and more right here at our advice centre.
Brewdog
The Scottish-based brewer has been purchased out of administration but will close 38 bars with the loss of nearly 500 positions as a result.
The BrewDog brand, UK brewing operations and 11 pubs was purchased by Tilray Brands which produces medicinal cannabis as well as craft beer in the US.
733 positions will transfer to the new owners while an additional 18 UK and international bars operated on a franchise basis will continue to operate.
Irwin D. Simon, chairman and chief executive at Tilray Brands, said: “BrewDog is one of the most iconic, mission-driven craft beer brands in the UK. It helped redefine modern craft beer through bold innovation, fearless creativity and an unwavering commitment to great beer.
“What makes Brewdog truly special has always been its brewers, its brewpubs and its passionate community of beer fans. As we begin a new chapter for this great brand, our priority is to refocus BrewDog on the craft beer excellence that made it beloved in the first place and strategically invest to return the operations to profitable growth. Brewdog’s future is bright and we’re committed to ensuring the brand continues to lead and inspire the global craft beer movement.”
The East India Company
A company with one of the most historic names in British and Indian history has gone into liquidation for the second and final time.
The East India Company once controlled vast territories of India enforced by a private army of around 250,000 mercenaries in the early 19th century. In many ways becoming the world’s first multinational corporation.
While transforming global trade and the idea of the corporation, it also contributed to native exploitation, slavery and exacerbating several famines. It first went out of business after a mutiny by Indian soldiers against its control in 1857.
It was subsequently revived in 2010 by Sanjiv Mehta, an Indian entrepreneur as a luxury food and drink retailer, trading on heritage rather than empire. Opening a 10,000sq foot store in Mayfair, London, he told The Guardian: “That fact that an Indian owns the East India Company means that the negative has become a positive. The historic East India Company built itself on aggression, but today’s East India Company is about compassion.”
Liquidators were appointed in October 2025 while a raft of other connected companies also with the East India name linked to Mr Mehta have also been dissolved. The store is empty and is being marketed by a property agency while the last remaining active company, the East India Company Collections Limited, received a winding-up petition last week.
Pagazzi Lighting
A Glasgow lighting retailer that has been trading for more than 45 years is moving online after going into administration.
The business and assets of Pagazzi Lighting Services has been acquired by its online retail division in a pre-pack sale meaning the closure of 11 physical stores in Scotland and the North of England with the loss of 70 positions.
The family-owned business suffered from ongoing cash flow issues after a period of sustained poor trading. It was restructured two years ago but suffered from the pressures of increased operating costs that have affected many retail businesses.
A spokesperson for the company said: “The retail sector has seen some very tough months of late in Scotland and this has also affected the lighting sector, mainly due to increasing competition and high trading costs.
“Reduced margins, slower consumer spending and rising operating costs are creating challenges for many high street retailers and unfortunately these are the main factors that saw the Pagazzi stores and concessions no longer able to trade.
Well Woman Wakefield
A Yorkshire charity that provided mental health, emotional and practical support for women has ceased operating and appointed administrators.
The Well Woman Centre in Wakefield has supported women from its premises for more than 40 years, providing a holistic, non-medial approach to helping improve women’s mental health and well-being.
A statement from the charity said: “It’s with a heavy heart that we have to announce the closure of the Well Women centre due to financial issues. As of now we will no longer be operating.
“Supporting and empowering women is still incredibly important to all staff and we’re devastated that our centre has to close under these circumstances.
“In the previous few weeks we’ve shared with partners that we were facing significant financial challenges. Once the position became clear, the board took the difficult decision to place the organisation into insolvency.
Wild Child Animation
An animation business based in Scotland has gone into administration but is hoping to find a buyer to preserve over 80 jobs.
Wild Child Animation co-founder and CEO Sueann Rochester said: “We built something truly special at Wild Child – not just in the work we created but in the extraordinary team behind it. I’ll be forever grateful to the talented, passionate people who made that journey possible.
“It’s devastating that we’ve not been able to continue but am happy that Magic Light Pictures have stepped in to complete production of our current production Zog and are keeping the team together and ensuring the work remains here in Scotland until it’s completed. That legacy of creativity and collaboration means everything.
“It’s a challenging time for the industry and while Wild Child had recently completed several contracts and others had been greenlit, due to uncertainties in the market, partly driven by AI, and that several national broadcasters have decided not to commission new content. This has caused a crunch in the available work for animation studios which has resulted in us going into administration.”
Sudbury Curtain Workroom
A 25-year-old Essex curtain manufacturer has gone into a creditors’ voluntary liquidation this week.
Sudbury Curtain Workroom manufactured made-to-measure curtains and blinds for private and commercial customers including show houses, hotels, banks as well as retailers and conference centres.
Nine positions have been made redundant as a result.
Amber Energy
A Welsh energy consultancy has gone into administration and ceased trading, with the loss of 170 positions.
Amber Energy was founded in Cardiff in 2009 by Nick Proctor to offer energy management, procurement and PPA services to a wide range of clients in the consumer, automotive and residential sectors.
They manage 8TWh of generation capacity and 48,000 residential and commercial meters.
Analysts reacted that this decision could be indicative of a bigger issue with energy trading oversight.
Many of Amber’s clients used flex energy trading, buying power in small, frequent chunks rather than committing to a long-term fixed rate. This approach requires persistent checking and oversight to deliver on potential value from accessing wholesale market prices rather than fixed tariffs.
An analyst remarked that “when a consultancy operating flex portfolios enters administration, the risk ceases to be theoretical. Flex procurement depends on active execution. If trading oversight is disrupted, unhedged volumes can become exposed to day-ahead or reference pricing immediately.”
Depending what line of business you operate in, these could be a nervous few weeks and months ahead.
Take the time now to get in touch with us to arrange a free initial consultation.
Our advisors will be able to talk through your current situation and your plans for the business and let you know what options you have available that you might not have considered.
The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can begin to work together and make your plans a reality – sooner.