UK woodburner business slams ‘misinformation’ amid liquidation

Oxford Woodburners had traded from Oxford Road in Cowley for 14 years, delivering and installing a wide variety of woodburning stoves in Oxfordshire and its surrounding counties.

However, at the end of last year the company voted to be “wound up voluntarily” with a liquidator being appointed.

The associated documents were published on Companies House in January.

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“Really, we closed for personal reasons,” said Kit Sandham, founder of the business, who confirmed it is no longer trading despite the website being operational.

He explained that his best friend – who had run the business with him – had died.

Following the decision to close the company, HMRC was informed and quickly sent debt collectors around, according to Mr Sandham.

He said: “HMRC came in heavy and we had to liquidate the company. 

Oxford Woodburners was based on Oxford Road in Cowley (Image: Google Maps)

“I thought they might give me a bit of time but no. They sent debt collectors which took everything.”

Companies House documents showed the business owed £16,000 in unpaid Corporation Tax.

Although, personal reasons were cited as the most important factor, other elements also played a part in the closure including “misinformation” about woodburning stoves.

Mr Sandham said: “There is so much misinformation about them. People were comparing them to diesel trucks which is insane.

“There is a lot of poor research about them.”

He added that official organisations had put out exaggerated warnings about stoves which was demotivating and he admitted the wood burner industry is in decline.

“I think we were probably heading out of this business anyway,” he said.

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He added that times of financial difficulty, like the present day, often sees the end of ‘zombie businesses’, organisations that make just enough money to continue operating.

On the Government website, it says that stove maintenance is important for health including regularly cleaning it and getting it serviced once every year.

In addition, Mr Sandham said the introduction of low traffic neighbourhoods in and around Oxford had disrupted their business making travel harder.

Also, he said the wider UK business landscape is “not good”, although that isn’t stopping him setting up a new electrical company that he is “confident” in.

Prince Michael of Kent visiting Betley Studios / The Little Car Compnay (Image: BicesterHeritage)

Mr Sandham’s company is not the only one to have gone under in recent months.

Administrators were appointed for Bicester-based Hedley Studios Ltd on March 4, with the Daily Express reporting the majority of its employees have been made redundant.

Witney-based company Christy & Co. Limited, which has made hats for more than 250 years was recently saved from liquidation by London hatmaker Laird Hatters.

Heimdal Limited, which had been trading from the West Oxfordshire Business Park in Carterton, passed a resolution to wind up voluntarily on March 13.