UK food retailer, housebuilding company and manufacturer plunge into administration

A number of major UK businesses have collapsed into administration in recent weeks. It has been a challenging time for many firms, with three more businesses adding to the growing list.

UK business administrations surged by 41% in January this year, driven by high-street failures, rising wages, weaker consumer spending, and higher operating costs. Official Insolvency Service statistics show 151 companies entered administration in January, representing a 14% increase compared to January 2025. Now, a major food retailer, housebuilding company and manufacturer have all fallen into administration.

Food retailer

Muscle Food, which is known for premium meat and high-protein meals, went into administration after a small-business lender, Bizcap, submitted an application, according to court documents.

Administrators at insolvency firm Mackay Goodwin took charge of Muscle Food Ltd on July 21 and are understood to be seeking a buyer for the business and assets.

The impact on employees, suppliers, customers and the future of the brand have not yet been confirmed. Muscle Food had already been rescued last year, when former CEO Nick Preston acquired full ownership of the Nottinghamshire-based business from previous owner GPS Food Group.

Mr Preston confirmed the latest news, stating that the business had been successfully working on a debt restructuring project with support from advisers Begbies Traynor.

He told The Grocer: "I am devastated. Just when it appeared we were coming through the other side, a series of damaging setbacks over a sustained period of time left the business in a very precarious position."

Manufacturing firm

Mask Logic, which was founded in 2021, has fallen into administration just a year after receiving almost 800,000 in funding and grants. All staff have been made redundant after the companys board of directors concluded there was no other option than to cease trading.

The firm aimed to solve the problem of uncomfortable, badly fitting face masks and improve safety and comfort in workplaces where respiratory protection is necessary. Now, David McGinness and Judith Howson, of AAB Business & Tax Advisory, have been appointed as joint administrators.

A spokesperson for AAB said: The company explored multiple avenues to secure a strategic partnership for delivering individually fit respiratory protection globally but unfortunately was unable complete the strategy.

Because scaling independently was too expensive and too slow for the available financing, the board of directors concluded that there was no other option than to seek the appointment of joint administrators.

The administrators said that creditors, employees, customers and other affected parties will be contacted directly with information relevant to them.

Housebuilding company

Scotland-based Hood Property Cardrona Limited collapsed into administration, leaving homes unfurnished. The Herald reports that James Stephen and Kerry Bailey of BDO have been appointed joint administrators and extended the administration period until September.

They said: "Upon appointment, my staff together with our appointed security agent visited the company's development site at Cardrona next to the town of Peebles in the Scottish Borders.

"Nobody was present at the site and they therefore required to forcibly gain entry to enable an initial assessment of the site to be carried out and new security measures to be put in place."

They added that a sale is "now proceeding and we anticipate it will be completed in the next few weeks".