Abacus Foods Limited faces a winding-up petition
Active Company no. SC239150 Incorporated Nov 2002 AB postcode area
26-30 Marine Place, Buckie, AB56 1UT
The most recent insolvency notice for Abacus Foods Limited is a Petitions to wind up (Companies), published 11 September 2026 in The London Gazette. The petition was presented by HM Revenue & Customs. The case is before the Elgin Sheriff Court. Its last accounts filed at Companies House, to 30 April 2021, showed total assets of £928k and net assets of £491k. Those accounts were filed 65 months before the first insolvency notice, so they describe the company well before the process began. A winding-up petition asks the court to close a company and place it into compulsory liquidation, most often because a debt has gone unpaid. If the court makes a winding-up order, control passes to the Official Receiver or an appointed liquidator, the company's bank accounts are frozen and its assets are sold to repay creditors.
HMRC is the petitioning creditor, so the debt behind the petition is unpaid tax — most often VAT, PAYE or corporation tax — rather than a trade debt. HMRC petitions usually follow a long run of missed payments and ignored demands.
Last filed balance sheet
As at 30 April 2021 · total exemption full accounts · unaudited · filed 65 months before the first insolvency notice
Insolvency notices (1)
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Petitions to wind up (Companies) 11 Sep 2026
A petition was presented to Elgin Sheriff Court to wind up ABACUS FOODS LIMITED.
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What happens next
At the hearing the court decides whether to make a winding-up order. Until it does, the petition can still be dismissed or withdrawn — if the debt is paid, if it is genuinely disputed on substantial grounds, if the company has a cross-claim larger than the debt, or if the court is persuaded to adjourn while a rescue or refinancing is put in place. If an order is made, the company stops trading, its bank accounts are frozen, control passes to the Official Receiver and a liquidator is appointed to sell the assets and pay creditors in the order fixed by law.
Owed money by Abacus Foods Limited?
A bad debt this size rarely stops with the company that failed. If you're a supplier or creditor left short, it's worth knowing where you rank — and checking what the shortfall does to your own cashflow.
Related guidance
- Facing a Winding-Up Petition?
- How to Stop a Winding-Up Petition
- Compulsory Liquidation Explained
- The Risks of Trading While Insolvent
- Business Turnaround: Options for Directors
Closing a company of your own? Get a fixed-fee liquidation quote.
Been served with a winding-up petition yourself?
You have about seven working days before it is advertised and the bank freezes the account. In that window a petition can still be paid, disputed, adjourned or overtaken by a rescue. K2's petition desk responds within one working day; if the hearing is this week, call now.
Frequently asked questions
Is Abacus Foods Limited in liquidation?
The most recent insolvency notice for Abacus Foods Limited (company no. SC239150) is a Petitions to wind up (Companies), published 11 September 2026 in The London Gazette. A winding-up petition asks the court to close a company and place it into compulsory liquidation, most often because a debt has gone unpaid. If the court makes a winding-up order, control passes to the Official Receiver or an appointed liquidator, the company's bank accounts are frozen and its assets are sold to repay creditors.
What were Abacus Foods Limited's last filed accounts?
Abacus Foods Limited's last accounts filed at Companies House, to 30 April 2021, showed total assets of £928k, cash of £68k, net assets of £491k. For a distressed company the last filing often predates the insolvency by a year or more.
How many insolvency notices does Abacus Foods Limited have?
Abacus Foods Limited has 1 insolvency notice recorded in The London Gazette, the most recent being a Petitions to wind up (Companies) on 11 September 2026.
What happens next?
At the hearing the court decides whether to make a winding-up order. Until it does, the petition can still be dismissed or withdrawn — if the debt is paid, if it is genuinely disputed on substantial grounds, if the company has a cross-claim larger than the debt, or if the court is persuaded to adjourn while a rescue or refinancing is put in place. If an order is made, the company stops trading, its bank accounts are frozen, control passes to the Official Receiver and a liquidator is appointed to sell the assets and pay creditors in the order fixed by law.
Who presented the winding-up petition, and why?
The petition was presented by HM Revenue & Customs. HMRC is the petitioning creditor, so the debt behind the petition is unpaid tax — most often VAT, PAYE or corporation tax — rather than a trade debt. HMRC petitions usually follow a long run of missed payments and ignored demands.
How much did the company owe?
The notices do not give a figure. The closest public number is total liabilities of £437k in its last filed accounts, to 30 April 2021. What was owed when the process began will differ, and is set out in the statement of affairs.
Financial figures are taken from the company's own last accounts filed at Companies House. Small and micro-entity accounts are unaudited, and for a company entering an insolvency process the most recent filing frequently predates that process by a year or more. Figures are indicative and are not a valuation. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.