The Birmingham office of RSM Tenon has been appointed administrators to frozen food delivery business Eismann UK Ltd and its associate company Country Home Foods Limited.

RSM Tenon is now seeking buyers for the business and assets while it carries out the return of vehicles and stock in an orderly manner.

The companies, based at a head office in Bedford, were forced to close their network last week - resulting in the redundancies of around 80 franchisee driver salespeople across the UK.

RSM Tenon was appointed on 28 January to carry out the administration of both companies. Eismann UK sells frozen food door-to-door and Country Home Foods carries out home delivery of frozen meals to older people. The company deals in both frozen fruit and vegetables.

The companies have long established national networks operating from 11 depots throughout the UK - including Boston, Braintree, Cambridge, Corby, Fleet, Norwich, Pluckley, Selby, Southampton, Washington (Sussex), and Worcester. Combined turnover of both companies in 2010 was £9.8 million

Beverley Marsh of RSM Tenon said: “Around 80 franchisee drivers across the companies’ branches were made redundant on 31 January as the company could no longer trade the business while in administration, due to the sums owed to franchisees and suppliers.

“The administrators have also carried out a scaling down of manpower at head office, where a further 16 employees were made redundant.

We are now seeking interested parties who are interested in taking over the business and assets. Eismann UK Ltd is a well-known brand which has operated in the UK for more than 25 years and was a thriving firm.

“However, it appears that the launch of supermarket chains delivering groceries door to door has had a drastic impact on the turnover of the group.”

Eismann UK sells frozen food to thousands of UK customers via a franchise system.

In 2009, Eismann UK launched Country Home Foods which was developed to deliver frozen ready meals specifically to older people.

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