Wellington's Thorndon Chippery went into liquidation following the pandemic and disruptions from last year's anti-mandate protests. Photo / Google Maps
Wellington's Thorndon Chippery went into liquidation following the pandemic and disruptions from last year's anti-mandate protests. Photo / Google Maps
Wellington fish and chip shop Thorndon Chippery is insolvent, claiming the pandemic and the “unlawful occupation of Parliament grounds” last year are to blame.
Palliser Insolvency’s Heath Gair was appointed to liquidate the business on May 26 and released the company’s first liquidator’s report last month.
Thorndon Chippery head chefHarvey Nguyen told the Herald “Business is really bad.”
Gair’s first report said the company struggled to meet its financial obligations “owing to difficult trading conditions associated with Covid-19, exacerbated by the unlawful occupation of Parliament grounds in March 2022 (with resultant shop closures) and ongoing frustrations in attracting staff.”
The report said the Chippery’s directors have sold the business, however, proceeds from the sale were not enough to cover the company’s creditor claims.
Nguyen said the impact of last year’s Parliament grounds occupation was not as big an issue as low customer numbers and ever-increasing supply costs in recent months.
“Ingredient costs are going up - canola oil prices are up 50 per cent,” Nguyen said.
“Our revenue is a half of what it was last year, and a third compared to before Covid.”
Thorndon Chippery was one of 50 Wellington businesses that received Government and Wellington Council funding after last year's anti-mandate protests. Photo / Mike Scott
“This year is getting worse,” he said. “Normally people ate here five days a week.”
Nguyen said the eatery has stopped hiring staff. He said increased immigration hasn’t helped bring in more workers either.
“Every year, the minimum wage increases, so we need to increase prices by $1 a meal so people feel it’s more expensive,” Nguyen said.
He said the wage increases have hit the company’s fish supplier as well, further adding to the Chippery’s expenses.
Gair said the company stopped trading on May 26, however the Thorndon branch is still in business.
The company’s pre-liquidation bank balance came to less than $8500 while the amounts claimed by secured creditors Inland Revenue and other trade creditors were unknown.
Shareholder and related party creditor claims came in at $346,000, with secured creditors including IRD, ACC, Xero, Te Aro Brewing Company, Affiliated Insurance, Takitimu Seafoods, Nova Energy, Paystation and One NZ.
The company’s listed directors are Dale Keith, Komal Parbhu, Stephen Piper and Grant Robinson.
Parbhu and Keith are also 25 per cent shareholders alongside Ocean Direct who own 50 per cent of the Chippery’s shares.
Ocean Direct shares are held by Piper and Robinson. Piper is a joint shareholder with Julie Piper and Mical Treadwell.
The directors and liquidators did not respond to any requests for comment.
