Britania Foods Limited, a household name that has been operating in Kenya for the past three decades and known for its popular biscuits brand, has finally crumbled and is up for liquidation, 5 years after its factory shut down.
According to a notice appearing in the Kenya Gazette Vol. CXXV—No. 157 dated 7th July, 2023, the firm transitioned into liquidation with its former Administrator, Peter Kahi of PKF Consulting (K) Limited, as the Liquidator of the Biscuit maker. This follows the successful completion of the administration sale of the business and assets of Britania Foods Limited.
Britania collapsed under debts owed to banks and suppliers
The Biscuit maker was placed under administration after it failed to repay loans amounting to more than KSh 1.3 billion obtained from Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) and other lenders. Britania operated a factory in industrial area where it manufactured biscuits, snacks and confectionary products.
Britania Foods set up as a tiny bakery before growing to a huge outfit while selling one of the biggest local biscuit brands. The manufacturer later ran into problems with banks, creditors as well as suppliers and could not recover despite attempts to craft a recovery strategy.
The failed bakery attributes its woes to collapse of Nakumatt and Tuskys Supermarkets, big retail giants, which went under while owing it more than KSh 50 million.
Its factory ceased operations in October 2019. The firm was initially registered as Jambo Biscuits but traded as Britania. Its founder Nitin Dawda’s family later sold the company to Kenyan-owned private equity firm Catalyst Principal Partners in 2016. Catalyst Principal Partners later brought in Jambo Africa which registered a new name Britania Foods Ltd.
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