A UK confectionery company that had been in business since 2012 has gone into liquidation. The notice, which was shared today in the London Gazette, the UK’s official database for notices of insolvencies and the appointment of administrators, reveals that Arnolds Confectioners Ltd entered Creditor’s Voluntary Liquidation, a process whereby shareholders or management volunteer to close down a company and sell off its assets to pay back debts owed.
The move is usually made when companies run into financial trouble and cannot pay their creditors. According to this morning’s notice, liquidators were appointed to Arnolds Confectioners Ltd on March 6, 2026. Andrew Davenport of Maxim IP Limited was named as liquidator. The company has a registered office at 85 Doncaster Road, Wath Upon Dearne, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, and a principal trading address at 9 Cowley Road, Blackpool.
According to Companies House, the official UK database of limited companies, Arnolds Confectioners had been in business since June 27, 2012.
The business has not released a statement about its closure. Back in 2024, it was among the businesses that expressed fear over the influx of Chinese imitations threatening rock shops that are common in seaside resorts like Blackpool.
That year, the group of Blackpool-area manufacturers sharing their concerns included McAdams Confectionery, Hornby/Parterre Confectionery, Baxter Brothers Confectionery, Rainbow Candies, Arnolds Confectioners, Mr Confectionery T/A Marton Rock Ltd, Blackpool Rock & Novelties, and Stanton & Novelty Ltd.
David Thorp, one of the members of the group, told industry publication Confectionery Production: “Blackpool Rock is something that is intrinsically British, it’s part of our heritage and people’s nostalgic memories. So, we just wanted to make sure that people know this is going on, as it’s having a massive impact,” explained the director, who adds that he fears that of the 10 small manufacturers in the Blackpool area, a number may well be put out of business by Chinese imports.
“There’s a limited amount of people, maybe totalling 30 that actually have the skills to make Blackpool Rock, with several of them at our company, including myself as one of them. Our company was founded by my grandfather in 1969, and carried on by my father, and myself for the past seven years.
“There are only two or three other places in the UK that make rock, and we just felt that we have to do something about this, and so we have looked at getting a protected product status for it – we have known someone who has done something similar with Lancashire Cheese, whom we have gained some advice from.”
