Suffolk retailer Barretts of Woodbridge enters administration after 57 years
Barretts of Woodbridge, a long-established Suffolk furniture and lighting retailer, has entered administration. Administrators have been appointed.
Information for general guidance, drawn from the public record. Not legal, financial, or insolvency advice. If you are affected by an insolvency, consult a licensed practitioner or qualified solicitor.
Administration for Barretts of Woodbridge
Barretts of Woodbridge Limited has entered administration after 57 years of trading in Suffolk. The High Court of Justice confirmed the appointment of administrators on 7 May 2026.
Tom Gardiner and Lee De’ath of BTG Begbies Traynor (Central) LLP are the joint administrators. Mr Gardiner is registered under IP number 17990 and Mr De’ath under IP number 9316.
Administration is a formal insolvency process. Licensed practitioners take control of the business to attempt a rescue, sell the company as a going concern, or sell assets to pay creditors.
Company background
Barretts of Woodbridge Limited was incorporated on 18 April 1969. The business sold furniture, lighting, and similar items in specialised stores under SIC code 47599.
The registered address for the company is C/O Begbies Traynor, Town Wall House, Balkerne Hill, Colchester, Essex, CO3 3AD. Its most recent accounts were filed for the period ending 31 March 2025.
Company officers
Jill Susan Barrett and Michael Charles John Grist were the directors at the time of the appointment. Jill Susan Barrett is also the company secretary.
Secured lending
Hsbc UK Bank PLC holds a registered charge against the company. This charge was created on 20 October 2020 and delivered on 29 October 2020. It is a fixed and floating charge over all company assets and is currently outstanding.
A secured creditor holds a debt backed by a charge over assets. These creditors are paid before unsecured creditors when funds are distributed.
What this means for creditors and customers
The administrators will send payment instructions and statutory notices to known creditors. All correspondence about claims should go through the administrators at the provided contact address.
Creditors must submit a proof of debt form to show the amount they are owed. This is a standard requirement in the insolvency process.
The appointment creates a moratorium under Schedule B1 of the Insolvency Act 1986. This is a legal pause that stops most creditors from starting or continuing court proceedings without permission from the court.
Customers with gift cards, outstanding orders, or paid deposits are usually unsecured creditors. Their claims are treated the same as other unsecured debts.
The administration process also covers employee wages, notice pay, and redundancy claims. The Redundancy Payments Service helps employees access these entitlements.
Common questions
Are you owed money by Barretts of Woodbridge Limited?
You are an unsecured creditor unless you hold a registered charge or retention of title. The administrators will write to known creditors in due course with a proof-of-debt form and timetable for the first meeting. Until that letter arrives, no formal action is required from you. Read more about proof of debt and where you sit in the creditor hierarchy.
Did you work at Barretts of Woodbridge Limited?
Wages owed up to a statutory cap, holiday pay, notice pay and redundancy may be claimable from the Redundancy Payments Service if the company is unable to pay. The administrators will normally coordinate the RP1 claim with the affected staff. See gov.uk: your rights if your employer is insolvent.
Do you hold a deposit, gift card or undelivered order from Barretts of Woodbridge Limited?
Customers with paid-but-undelivered orders, gift cards or deposits typically rank as unsecured creditors. Where you paid by credit card and the amount was over £100, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 may let you claim from the card issuer for breach of contract or misrepresentation by the supplier; the rules apply per item, not per transaction, and the card must be a regulated credit card. Debit-card payments may be recoverable via chargeback.
Are you a director of a company connected to Barretts of Woodbridge Limited?
Watch for Section 216 of the Insolvency Act 1986 if you intend to keep trading under a similar name in a successor company. The rule prohibits a director of a liquidated company from being involved in another company using the same or a similar name for five years, unless one of the statutory exceptions applies. Read more about Section 216.
Sources
- The London Gazette notice (code Appointment of Administrators)
- Companies House record 00952478
- Court: High Court of Justice
- Editorial standards: how we source and review; five-pass pipeline.
