A KITCHENWARE business which was forced to close its doors with the loss of up to 20 jobs has failed to find a buyer.

Efforts to sell the business of The Cook & Bakeware Company, based at Westgate, Huddersfield, have drawn a blank.

Liquidator Charles Brook said he had now been left with no choice but to sell off the stock and assets of the business piecemeal.

Mr Brook, of business rescue and restructuring firm Brook Business Recovery, said: “With the help of my agents, Walker Singleton, and the full co-operation of the landlord, Kirklees Council, I have fully explored whether any parties were placed to take the business forward.

“Unfortunately, no proceedable interest has materialised. This being the case I have instructed my agents to realise the stock and assets on a piecemeal basis.”

Chartered surveyors Walker Singleton has begun advertising the sale of stock and fittings which runs until Friday, November 16.

Daniel Hey, associate in the machinery and business asset department at Walker Singleton, said: “There has been a high level of preliminary interest in the sale due to the high profile of the store and stocks and the recent increased attention on home cooking and baking.

“Lots have been created with a bias to accommodating private interest.”

More than 1,500 lots range from single items such as pans to cookware sets and blocks of professional knives.

Cook & Bakeware, formerly Strawberry Fair, employed up to 20 mainly part-time workers. It closed last month – a little over a year after it opened.

Initially, a sign in the window said the shop was shut for redecoration, but there was no sign of work being carried out on the premises.

The three-storey premises, which also included brasserie-style cafe The Dining Rooms, forms a cornerstone of the town’s Byram Arcade.

At the time of his appointment, Mr Brook said the business had been hit by a combination of factors, including low margins and declining footfall in the face of a tough economic climate.

The store also faced competition from major retailers such as Argos, TK Maxx and House of Fraser, who are able to buy in bulk and get discounts.

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