Eight jobs saved as Redruth events firm supplying Glastonbury rescued
A Redruth firm behind Cornwall’s summer events
Drive past Barncoose Industrial Estate in Redruth and you could easily miss the business that quietly keeps a surprising number of Cornish celebrations running. Abbotts Event Hire Limited has spent its recent years supplying the unglamorous but essential kit that makes an outdoor event work: luxury toilets, tableware, crockery and furniture. According to its own website, it manages around 2,000 events a year, which is a remarkable workload for a firm of its size. Its supply list reaches as far as Glastonbury Festival, a reminder that a business rooted in a Redruth unit can plug into one of the biggest stages in the country. Closer to home, the gatherings that fill our calendar, from surf competitions and seafront celebrations around Fistral Beach to marquee weddings across the county, depend on firms like this one. When a company of this kind runs into trouble, the ripple effects reach beyond its own staff. Event organisers, caterers, venues and couples planning their big day all feel the impact. The firm was incorporated in 2019 as a sister business to Abbotts Catering Supplies, which was founded in 1987, and it grew out of a family tradition of hospitality that many locals will recognise.
Jobs saved, but a family business under pressure
The most immediate good news is for the eight people whose jobs have been safeguarded. Administrators Peter Herberts and Brett Lee Barton, of accountancy firm BK Plus, were appointed on 23 October and oversaw a pre-packaged sale, a process where a buyer is lined up before the business formally enters administration. That route is often chosen to protect jobs and keep trading continuous, and in this case it has kept the workforce in place. The family history behind the firm adds a personal dimension. Steve Abbott co-founded the original catering business and retired after 37 years only two years ago, while his son Richard Abbott currently leads the company. Richard said in 2024 that he was optimistic about the next phase, when the catering division closed and the business shifted its focus to equipment hire. Accounts filed at Companies House for the period from January 2024 to March 2025 show net liabilities of more than £280,000. Those documents also reveal that an intra-group loan of £403,518 was written off as trade, assets and debts moved across from the wider group. Those numbers help explain why the firm found itself in administration, even as its workload remained busy. The identity of the buyer has not been disclosed, so for now the new arrangements remain something of a question mark for staff and clients.
What Cornish residents and clients should do next
If you have booked equipment through Abbotts Event Hire, the first step is to check with the new owner once they are confirmed, as the terms of existing bookings may vary after a sale. Anyone owed money by the business can find the administration notice on the Gazette, the public records site, and the administrators’ contact details there. For residents interested in the wider picture, Companies House holds the filed accounts, which are a useful reminder of how to read a company’s financial health before committing to a supplier. Event planners in Cornwall may also want to review their supplier options for the coming season, particularly for large bookings that rely on specialist kit. Keep an eye out for the announcement of the buyer, which should clarify who will run the business and whether the Barncoose site and the 2,000-event service model will continue in their current form. For visitors and locals heading out this summer, the impact on event logistics may be small, but it is worth checking details with organisers early. And if you are planning a seaside break and want to go to Newquay with your four-legged friend, look for dog friendly accommodation before you book and check local rules on dog on beaches, which can change with the season. Supporting local firms, whatever their size, helps keep the county’s events and jobs in Cornwall.
Source: Jobs saved at bust Cornish events company that supplies Glastonbury
