FRESHLAND Foods Ltd, with registered offices at Castleholding, Roscrea, Co Tipperary, was wound up by order of the High Court yesterday.
The order was made by Mr Justice McCracken on the petition of Sallyview Estate Ltd, meat and livestock exporters, with registered offices at Molesworth Street, Dublin, which claimed to be owed £645,450.
The petition was supported by the Revenue Commissioners which is owed £406,492 and Antania Ltd of Nicosia, Cyprus, which has a claim for £1,175,000.
The court appointed Dublin accountant Mr Ray Jackson to act as liquidator.
Mr Georges Rebet of Thonon, France, a director of Sallyview Esstates said in an affidavit that Freshland Foods, set up in 1991, said the company was a fifty fifty joint venture between Antania Ltd, of which he is also a director, and Pascal Phelan Holdings Ltd.
Mr Rebet said he believed Freshland was insolvent and the main assets of the company had been sold. Its main asset now was in a canned beef product "Casserole Brand" sold mainly on the British market.
Freshland had sought a purchaser for the product, brand name and goodwill and an interest had been expressed by Avonmore Foods plc. A licence had been granted by Freshland to Avonmore to manufacture the product which expired on November 24th.
Mr Rebet said that if the product ceased to be manufactured and supplied to the current market its value would decrease rapidly and quickly become valueless.
Mr John Gleeson, counsel for Mr Jackson, who at an earlier date had been appointed provisional liquidator, said his client had detailed in a report steps taken to preserve the assets and had extended the licence to Avonmore to December 13th.
