Antic Limited pubs for sale after unpaid HMRC bill forces administration

Rumours began to surface last week that Antic Limited, a subsidiary of Antic, had gone into administration. This week, accountancy firm Chantrey Vellacott DFK confirmed Richard Toone, David Oprey and Kevin Murphy from the company were appointed joint administrators of Antic Limited on 14 January.

The company currently operates 12 trading pubs in the capital including The King's Head, Clapham, and The Tiger, Camberwell Green.

According to the administrators, the business also has the leaseholds for two more sites, one of which is closed due to a fire while the second has not yet opened due to lack of capital to complete a required refurb.

HMRC bill​

"All 12 pubs continue to trade as normal and we are confident of securing the future of the business with either a CVA (company voluntary arrangement) or a sale of the business and assets out of administration,” said Toone, one of the trio of Antic Limited administrators. 

“The main factor behind the business going into administration is due to a HMRC bill it has struggled to resolve."

Toone went on to confirm that he was helping to respond to interest from parties looking to either purchase the business as a whole or the company's assets - the individual pubs.

“We are welcoming offers on each of the individual leaseholds, and the company’s business and assets as a whole.

“The pubs are very popular and the business should be profitable and the substantial interest and offers which have been made reflect this," he added.

Antic London​

A Twitter feed for Antic Limited has recently been deleted, meanwhile information on the 24 other Antic pubs not owned by Antic Limited has now been moved to a separate website - Antic London. These pubs include Dogstar Brixton and The Sun of Camberwell.

Antic has declined to give a press statement or to comment on both the rumours and subsequent confirmation of the administration of Antic Limited.

However in the last few days an Antic London Twitter feed has confirmed all Antic pubs are currently open and trading.

Also on Twitter, Antic London has confirmed it has recently completed the acquisition of a number of sites for new openings this year including the Effra Social Club, Brixton; The Provenance, Colliers Wood; The Chequers, Walthamstow, and Baring Hall Hotel, Grove Park.