Kane's Foods Limited administration has left 662 workers without jobs after trading stopped immediately on Monday. The prepared-meals maker from Evesham was placed into administration, and all employees were made redundant at once.
Nigel Huddleston on Vale of Evesham
Nigel Huddleston described the closure as "devastating news" and said he had visited the business on a number of occasions and knew how many local families relied on it for their livelihoods. He said he was liaising with the joint administrators and the Department of Work and Pensions to make sure employees were supported.
Pwc and the sale effort
662 people were employed at Kanes Food Limited, and more than 600 lost their jobs when the appointment took effect. The company made prepared meals, including pre-packaged salads, stir-fry products and sauces, from its site in Evesham, and it supplied several major UK supermarkets.
June 2025 brought the failure of the company’s wastewater treatment plant, which caused "significant disruption" and about £2m in costs. In August 2026, drought-related supply issues affected trading, adding to the pressure on the business after years of "significant financial and operational challenges over the last few years".
Mid-September 2026 sale process
Mid-September 2026 brought a fast-track sale process, but the administrators said directors explored a number of options to secure the future of the company and found "no workable solution". They also said, "Ongoing losses, negative cash flow and uncertainty over future demand put the company's finances under increasing strain".
The same statement said, "A fast-track sale process began in mid-September 2026, but a going-concern sale could not be concluded within the time available". Employees are being supported in making claims to the Redundancy Payments Service, while Huddleston said the collapse of such a significant local employer could have a knock-on impact on other businesses in the supply chain.
Whether any parts of the business will be sold is still the immediate issue for the Vale of Evesham, and that answer will decide whether any value can be recovered from a shutdown that has already moved from trading loss to mass redundancy.
