Christmas gets hampered

Celebrity foodie Annabelle White. Photo / Supplied

Celebrity foodie Annabelle White was once New Zealand's Mrs Christmas.

But now the company is threatened with liquidation, and customers are worried Christmas may not come this year.

Among those customers are pensioners Fred and Natalie Jackson, who said their concerns were aroused when the familiar advertisements disappeared from evening television. Now, they are seeking reassurance that they will not lose the $300 they had already put towards this year's $887 Christmas hamper.

Mrs Christmas, set up in October 2003, has been called to the Auckland High Court later this month to hear an application for liquidation, filed on behalf of courier business Post Haste Limited.

The relationship between the two companies soured after Christmas last year, when the Auckland-based hamper business did not pay a hefty bill.

"It's pretty straight-forward for us," said Post Haste director Dean Bracewell. "We completed all their deliveries at Christmas and despite several assurances that we would be paid, we haven't [been]."

The work was completed to the hamper company's satisfaction in a very short space of time, he said, so Post Haste was going through the normal proceedings to try to recover its money.

The Herald on Sunday has been told that Mrs Christmas' debts have topped six figures.

The company's director, Phillip Walls, could not be reached for comment. Nor could White, the former public face of the company, who is listed by the Companies Office as holding 5000 shares in the company.

But through a public relations company, Mrs Christmas issued a statement saying it intended to deliver all orders at the usual time.

"Mrs Christmas has sold its Australian business to a major hamper company and is negotiating with that company, and another potential buyer, to purchase the New Zealand operation as well," the statement said.

"Any successful purchaser will be required to honour all customer orders.

"The company is making every effort to act in the best interests of its customers, suppliers and staff and will advise all parties as soon as the situation is resolved."

That reassurance isn't enough for worried customers like the Jacksons.

The couple, from Christchurch, have been clients for three years.

"We are worried Christmas might not come this year," said Natalie Jackson, 66.

They will now wait patiently for a letter advising customers about the state of play, she said.

Meanwhile, two rival businesses have pounced on the news, buying full-page ads in national newspapers.

Chrisco's ad has offered "to rescue Christmas for thousands of families potentially stranded if Mrs Christmas collapses".

Chrisco marketing manager Sandra Shilhan defended the company's decision to move quickly, saying the application for putting the company into liquidation appeared in a public notice.

Hampsta said the time was right to advertise the fact its customers' money went into a public trust, unlike its competitors.

"By putting the ad in we were just letting the public know that these things aren't secure," Hampsta director Michael Morton said. "If you're going to put all your money in there it could be gone."