Hopkins bought out of administration

Hopkins Catering Equipment, which went out of business in November, is being revived following the acquisition of its business and assets from administration.

The Pudsey-based business has been renamed Hopkins Frying Ranges in a deal secured by its administrator PKF Geoffrey Martin & Co.

The new entity is being run by Ferhat Akkaya, a fast-food entrepreneur and former customer of Hopkins, and Matthew Hopkins, a member of the Hopkins family which founded and ran the original business. It will employ close to half of the previous 50-strong workforce.  

Commenting on the deal, administrator Oliver Collinge said: “Hopkins is a historic Yorkshire business with first-class design and fabrication capabilities. The business was mothballed in mid-November as its cash position became untenable and since then we have been seeking a purchaser for this highly-respected brand and its assets. This is a particularly positive outcome as it provides for many of the company’s workforce to be re-employed and we wish the new business every success in the future.”

Ferhat Akkaya comments: “We were delighted to conclude this deal and rescue a much-admired business and we look forward to continuing to serve Hopkins’ customers for many years to come. We have taken on around 20 of the business’s former employees and are still recruiting, with a particular interest in highly skilled sheet metal workers and fabricators.”