A sign has been put on the front door: “Closed until further notice – many apologies to our many loyal customers”.
One of The National Distillery Company’s outstanding gins.
The company’s website has also been taken offline for the meantime.
A liquidation notice, published in Hawke’s Bay Today, has invited creditors to make a claim.
A liquidator’s report detailing how much the company owes to creditors has yet to be released.
Co-founder and director Blair Nicholl said an “active sale process” was underway as part of the liquidation, which he said “provides a strong pathway for the brands to continue”.
He said the company’s stock and assets were under the control of the liquidators and “form part of the active sale process”.
Nicholl said it had been a tough decision to place the company in liquidation.
“Personally, myself and the directors are absolutely gutted that we couldn’t find a way to keep the business operating in its current form,” he said.
“We put everything we had into building this company and are incredibly proud of what the team achieved.”
Television celebrity The Dark Destroyer pays a visit to the distillery in 2023. Photo / Paul Taylor
He said they had eight staff and “employee entitlements are continuing to be worked through as part of the liquidation process”.
“Like many businesses, we faced a combination of challenges over recent years, including Covid-19, Cyclone Gabrielle, rising operating costs, changing consumer spending patterns, broader economic pressures and challenges in our export markets.
“Ultimately, liquidation became the most responsible course of action.”
The appointed liquidators have been contacted for further information, including what will be sold to help pay creditors.
The National Distillery Company‘s spirits are sold across New Zealand and also in the US.
Last year, the company mentioned ambitions to expand into Asia.
The directors of the company are Nicholl and Ricardo Reis.
The appointed liquidators are Damien Grant and Adam Botterill, from insolvency firm Waterstone.
Following Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023, the company distilled a special gin, which it called Cyclone Recovery Dry Gin, donating 80% of proceeds to help people impacted by the cyclone.
The company leases its building rather than owning it.