Administrator confirms 'escalating' freight costs impacted stricken Corby furniture firm Kettle Interiors

Administrators have confirmed that Kettle Interiors in Corby had faced significant economic challenges since the outbreak of the pandemic.

As reported exclusively by this newspaper earlier today, the Macadam Road company made all of its workers redundant on Friday (March 24).

Local reports suggested there had been 165 redundancies in total. The administrator has now confirmed that 126 people were employed by Kettle’s who have all now lost their jobs. It’s now known whether there were local agency workers affected.

The company has been operated by the Kettle family, who live in Northamptonshire, for 30 years.

A statement this afternoon from insolvency firm Begbies Traynor said that the firm appointed Gary Shankland and Ken Pattullo as joint administrators.

They said that the firm had ‘begun to struggle financially due to escalating shipping costs since the onset of the pandemic in 2020.’

Begbies Traynor partner Thomas McKay said: “Due to the economic challenges facing the furniture sector, particularly the significant increase in freight costs since Covid in the last two or three years, Kettle Interiors has reluctantly been placed into administration.

“All staff have unfortunately had to be made redundant for reasons of insolvency and we are currently working with PACE and local government departments to ensure all staff receive support and their full entitlements at this difficult time.”

It has also emerged today that a management buyout may be on the cards following the administration. This would enable former bosses to buy back the assets of the firm and re-start the business on the same premises, usually under a new name.

The news emerged after two of the former directors - Stuart Caddy and Ian Kettle - formed a new company called Kettle Home according to industry publisher The Furnishing Report.