Press coverage
Client example
Corking news for winery workers?
Debt-ridden Broadland Wineries, near Cawston could be bought out by a larger firm, saving its 60 remaining staff.
A wine producer is hoping a rescue package will help prevent any further job lossess at is Norfolk base.
Broadland Wineries of Cawston, near Aylsham, went into administration earlier this year after running up debts of £5 million.
However the company, famed for producing the traditional elixir for the elderly Wincarnis, could soon be snapped up by a larger firm, saving its 60 remaining staff.
The Evening News previously reported that the workers could face redundancy at the company, which was founded by the Engelhard family back in 1965.
Twenty staff at the plant, a quarter of the workforce, lost their jobs earlier this month, but administrations now say the move could safeguard remaining posts for the future.
According to Norwich based administrators McTear Williams & Wood, there is light at the end of the financial tunnel and hopes are high a new buyer will be found.
Administrator Chris Williams said “It is trading well at the moment. We unfortunately had to make 20 redundancies on day one, however, three or four people have now been taken back on. We now have two options. The first is to sell it and the other is to continue restructuring the company and we have been looking at both approaches in detail. There has been a lot of interest from other companies who want to take over the company, however it is too early to say exactly who from,” he added.
The four acre site bottles 22 million litres of booze a year from countries including Australia, Argentina, Chile, California, Hungary, France, Spain, Italy and South Africa.
It is also well know for its own perrys and extensive range of fruit and country wines.
But this year the firm hit financial difficulties and was left unable to pay all its suppliers or by raw materials.
An elixir and aphrodisiac
Known for decades as granny’s favourite pick me up and the top energy enhancing elixir for the eldery, Wincarnis has been in production since the 1880s.
More recently the fortified wine, which famously used to contain meat and milk extracts has become a top tipple and alleged aphrodisiac amont revellers in Jamaica.
It is also seen as a popular recovery tonic for new mums in Singapore, Malaysis and the Gulf.
The tonic for the world, now made by Broadland Wineries, has become a household name in more than 60 countries.
The Wincarnis Works was once based in WEstwick Street, Norwich, but has now been pulled down.
As well as the elixir tonic, the firm produced Vitacup Wincarnis Old English, beef cubes, BVT (another health drink) Odol toothpaste and mouthwash and Ace of Blades razor blades.
Eastern Daily Press
29 June 2006