Mad Butcher owner faces problems after bank withdraws support

posted on 29th August 2017

29 August 2017 - The future of publicly-listed Veritas Investments, the owner of the Mad Butcher franchise, is unclear after the company's bank pulled its support for the company. Veritas is looking at a possible sale or merger of its business.

We've posted a couple of articles on private equity and listed company ownership of franchises recently. Read Dr Callum Floyd's discussion of the pros and cons of private equity and listed company ownership for franchisors and franchisees, while Simon Lord questions how well financiers understand franchising here.

Veritas Investments, the NZX-listed owner of the Mad Butcher and Better Bar Company franchises, said ANZ would withdraw its banking facilities when they fell due in October and November.

This created "material uncertainty" for the company, which earlier this year sold the troubled gourmet supermarket brand Nosh, and its ability to continue.

The directors of the company were confident a solution could be found.

"The directors acknowledge that if the group is unable to obtain alternative sources of funding, within the required timeframe to enable the repayment of the bank debt, or receive an extension of timing of debt repayments to the bank to enable the group to execute any of the above options, then the going concern assumption would not be appropriate."

"Whilst material uncertainties exist, the directors consider that there is a reasonable expectation that the above options can be executed and that the ANZ will support the group through this process."