Job losses as Lincs potato packer goes into administration

Lincolnshire potato packer and supplier QV Realisations – part of the AH Worth Group of agri-businesses – has been placed in administration following two years of trading losses.

Joint administrator Paul Meadows of Teneo Financial Advisory in Birmingham said a combination of volatile potato prices and increased operating costs that were not fully recovered were to blame.

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“While efforts were made to find a buyer for the business, unfortunately no funded, deliverable offers were received. As a result, the company ceased to trade on 10 June 2024.”

Mr Meadows said the closure of the company had led to about 200 redundancies, with a skeleton team retained to support the administrators in the wind down of operations.

Sad times 

AH Worth Group chief executive Duncan Worth described it as “a very sad day for our business and especially all our colleagues affected at Holbeach”.

“This is not a decision that we have taken lightly and one we only took after exploring all other possible options.”

He insisted that remaining businesses in the group, including Fresh Fosdyke, which processes spinach and brassicas, and Worth Farms are profitable, predicting further growth and investment in those businesses.

AH Worth was founded in 1895 and produces potatoes, sweetcorn, leeks, kale and spinach, supplying the retail, foodservice, wholesale and food manufacturing sectors.

The business also owns spinach production in Spain and Italy, while its Worth Farm, near Spalding, is a Leaf demonstration farm.