Business & Technology
UK car manufacturer makes major change after £2m collapse
Bicester-based Hedley Studios Ltd, which makes miniaturised electric versions of classic cars, had administrators appointed in March with the majority of its 74 employees being made redundant.
It was later revealed the business, which was formed out of The Little Car Company in 2025, has had creditors worth £2,070,036.
The biggest of these included £618,464 owed to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, £191,535 to Bentley Motors and £56,111 to transportation firm Pro-Logistics.
READ MORE: UK car manufacturer’s £2m debts to Bentley and tax collector
Now, on May 13, the company has revealed it will be changing its name, with Companies House currently referring to it as HSL Realisations 2026 Limited.
The details of the name change are currently being processed and are set to be made available soon.
The administrator’s proposal, compiled by representatives of administrators Interpath, details how the company struggled in late December 2025, and so former owner of the business Ben Hedley purchased the shareholding from Island Capital LLC.
The investor group had led to the acquisition of previous company The Little Car Company.
Prince Michael of Kent visiting The Little Car Company at Bicester Heritage (Image: BicesterHeritage)
Following the management buyout late last year, Interpath was appointed to explore sale and restructuring options as a short-term liquidity requirement was identified.
This means the business needed cash to cover upcoming payments, often within 30 days although this has not been confirmed in this case.
A spokesperson for the company said: “Interpath launched the early options process by marketing the business to over 250 trade and financial parties.
“The early options process ultimately resulted in no offers on either a solvent or insolvent basis.”
After this the company appointed administrators on March 4.
Prince Michael of Kent visiting The Little Car Company at Bicester Heritage (Image: BicesterHeritage)
The business and certain of the assets were sold to a connected party, Hedley Labs Limited, with £100,000 having already been received and a further £150,000 due in May.
As for Hedley Studios and its remaining assets, a spokesperson for Interpath said: “Whilst we consider it prudent to retain all options available, it is anticipated that the most likely exit route from administration will be via dissolution or a creditors’ voluntary liquidation.”
READ MORE: Director of UK car manufacturer leaves as company collapses
They added: “Following an extensive sales process, no offers for a rescue of the whole company were received and therefore rescuing the company…was not achievable.
“Therefore, our primary objective is to achieve a better result for the company’s creditors as a whole than would be likely if the company were wound up.”
In its previous guise, as The Little Car Company, it hosted a royal visit with Prince Michael of Kent trying out some of the cars in 2024.
The company makes its cars in partnership with a range of luxury manufacturers, including Aston Martin, Bentley and Ferrari.
Business & Technology
Rosa’s Thai is giving away 4000 free Pad Thais to students
Celebrating both GCSE and A-Level Results Days, the chain will offer the popular dish to students who buy one of its bubble teas.
The free offer is available at all 42 Rosa’s Thai restaurants across England and Wales.
To avail of the free noodles, students need to register on Rosa’s Thai website for a unique code, which they should present at the restaurant together with a copy of their results.
Rosa’s Thai has a new range of bubble tea flavours, including Ube-Taro, Matcha-Coconut, Mango Sticky Rice, and Milo Chocolate Milk, as well as favourites like Home-brewed Thai Tea with Tapioca, and Lychee Mango with mango boba.
Students can sign up for their free Pad Thai at rosasthai.com/result-day-free-pad-thai and find their nearest restaurant at rosasthai.com/locations.
Business & Technology
Historic coin company enters administration after 20 years
The London Mint Office, which distributes commemorative coins and medals, appointed administrators on July 31 after 20 years in business.
The company’s website now displays a message confirming the appointment of Michael Magnay and Jonny Marston of Alvarez & Marsal Europe LLP as joint administrators.
A spokesman for Alvarez and Marsal said: “On July 31 2026, Michael Magnay and Jonny Marston of Alvarez & Marsal Europe LLP were appointed as Joint Administrators of The London Mint Office Limited in administration (the “Company”).
“Regrettably, the Company’s liquidity challenges have led to a number of immediate redundancies. We are supporting the affected employees through the redundancy process.
What Happens When a Company Goes Into Administration?
“The affairs, business and property of the Company are being managed by the Joint Administrators who act as agents of the Company and without personal liability.”
The announcement confirms that it is no longer possible to purchase coins or medals through the company’s website.
The London Mint Office operates a distribution centre in Tonypandy, Rhondda Cynon Taf, where it employs a significant number of people.
Administration is a formal insolvency process triggered when a business cannot meet its financial obligations.
An insolvency practitioner is appointed to manage the company’s affairs and may attempt to restructure the business or sell off assets to repay creditors.
What happens when a company goes into Liquidation?
Founded in 2006, The London Mint Office describes itself as “one of the UK’s most trusted suppliers of historic, commemorative, and collector coins.”
It is part of Samlerhuset AS, a Norwegian company based near Oslo and one of Europe’s largest distributors of commemorative coins and medals.
Samlerhuset’s website states that it offers “provide a wide range of coins from ancient to modern, originating from virtually every country in the world.”
The London Mint Office has advised anyone with an interest in the company’s assets to contact the administrators at INS_THLMOL@alvarezandmarsal.com.
Business & Technology
Warning of new rules for Aldi and Lidl after watchdog review
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally decided that both discounters should be added to the Groceries Market Investigation (Controlled Land) Order 2010, which currently applies to Asda, Co-op, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Waitrose.
This order is designed to prevent large grocery retailers from using land agreements to block competitors from opening nearby stores, often through restrictive covenants or exclusivity terms.
Juliette Enser, executive director of competition enforcement and markets at the CMA, said: “We want everyone to have the best choice of supermarket and range of prices when buying their groceries.
“To ensure this happens, we put rules in place to prevent big supermarket chains blocking rival stores from opening nearby – and now we propose applying those rules to Aldi and Lidl too.
“This is about allowing shoppers to choose where they spend their money and levelling the playing field for all major supermarkets.
“Today’s proposals are provisional and we welcome views before deciding the best way forward.”
The CMA’s review found that Aldi, Lidl GB, and Lidl NI now meet the criteria of ‘Large Grocery Retailers’ (LGRs) due to their store footprint, nationwide presence, procurement model, and the breadth of their grocery range.
Aldi and Lidl were originally excluded from the 2010 order as ‘limited assortment discounters’, offering a smaller selection of products compared to traditional supermarkets.
However, the CMA’s provisional findings indicate that this is no longer the case.
All three now operate large grocery stores, each with more than 1,000 square metres of shop floor space, and offer a full range of products, though with less category choice than some competitors.
They also purchase goods directly from suppliers through integrated wholesaling.
With the UK grocery market estimated to be worth £215 billion, Aldi and Lidl are now ranked among the top five retailers by market share.
The CMA is seeking feedback from stakeholders before reaching a final decision.
Aldi and Lidl could join the other supermarket chains later this year.
The CMA is inviting views until 5pm on Monday, September 7, 2026, and will issue its final decision in the autumn after reviewing responses.
If the discounters are included under the order, they will be prevented from using land agreements to limit competition from other supermarket chains.
The CMA aims to ensure competition across the grocery sector to give shoppers more choice and competitive pricing by removing obstacles to new store openings.
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