A.R.J. Butchers (Shaws) Limited faces winding-up petition from Yu Energy Retail
Yu Energy Retail Limited presented a winding-up petition against Warrington food-service firm A.R.J. Butchers (Shaws) Limited at the High Court on 5 May 2026. Full notice and Companies House record.
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.
Yu Energy Retail Limited presented a winding-up petition against A.R.J. Butchers (Shaws) Limited, a Warrington-based food-service operator, at the High Court of Justice, Business and Property Courts of London on 5 May 2026. The petition was filed under case number CR-2026-003267 in the Insolvency and Companies List (ChD), the specialist list within the Chancery Division of the High Court that hears insolvency and company-law applications.
A winding-up petition is a court filing by a creditor asking the court to make a winding-up order. Filing a petition does not place the company into liquidation; the court must first make the order at a separate hearing. The petition was published in the London Gazette on 26 May 2026.
The petitioner
Yu Energy Retail Limited, registered at CPK House, 2 Horizon Place, Nottingham Business Park, Mellors Way, Nottingham, claims to be a creditor of A.R.J. Butchers (Shaws). Its legal team postal address is The Energy Centre, 2 Northgate Street, Leicester.
The notice states that anyone intending to appear at the hearing of the petition, whether to support or oppose it, must give notice in accordance with rule 7.14 of the Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 by 16:00 hours on 23 June 2026.
About A.R.J. Butchers (Shaws) Limited
A.R.J. Butchers (Shaws) Limited is registered at The Glen, Knutsford Old Road, Grappenhall, Warrington, WA4 2LD. The company was incorporated on 29 September 1977, originally under the name Drayburgh Limited, before adopting its current name later that same year. Its SIC code places it in the other food-service activities sector.
Companies House records show the last filed accounts were made up to 31 December 2022, submitted as a micro-entity filing. A further set of accounts was due by 30 September 2024.
The director
Leslie Hunter is the sole current director, appointed on 1 March 2013. No company secretary is recorded at Companies House. Former officers include Richard Cooper Shaw, who resigned as director on 1 October 2014, and Sarah Jane Hunter, who served as secretary from March 2013 until October 2019. Betty Shaw held the secretary role from July 1992 until March 2013. James Walter Higham served as both secretary and director before resigning in July 1992.
No secured charges are registered against A.R.J. Butchers (Shaws) Limited at Companies House.
Common questions
What does a winding-up petition mean for A.r.j. Butchers (Shaws) Limited?
A petition is a court filing, not a court order. A.r.j. Butchers (Shaws) Limited is not yet in liquidation. The court will consider the petition at the date listed in the notice; until then, the company continues to trade, but its bank may freeze accounts and counterparties may stop extending credit. The court can dismiss the petition, adjourn it, or grant a winding-up order.
Are you owed money by A.r.j. Butchers (Shaws) Limited?
You are not yet a creditor in a liquidation; the company is still trading. If you support the petition, you may file a notice of support at the court named in the notice. If the petition is granted, you become an unsecured creditor in the resulting compulsory liquidation and the Official Receiver will invite you to submit a proof of debt.
Did you work at A.r.j. Butchers (Shaws) Limited?
A petition does not by itself terminate your employment. Wages and holiday pay continue to accrue until the company stops paying you or is wound up. Watch the bank position closely; if accounts are frozen, payroll will be the first thing to fail. If the petition is granted, statutory redundancy and notice claims become payable from the Redundancy Payments Service.
Are you a director of A.r.j. Butchers (Shaws) Limited?
Once a petition is filed, the company's directors have a heightened duty to consider the interests of creditors. Continuing to trade where there is no reasonable prospect of avoiding insolvent liquidation can expose directors to personal liability for wrongful trading under Section 214 of the Insolvency Act 1986. Specialist insolvency advice should be taken immediately.
Sources
- The London Gazette notice (code Petitions to Wind Up (Companies))
- Companies House record 01331989
- Court: High Court of Justice
- Editorial standards: how we source and review; five-pass pipeline.
