A UK-based seafood supplier has collapsed into liquidation 30 years after it was founded. Cheek House Ltd was incorporated in February 1996 and has spent the intervening decades selling fish, crustaceans and molluscs to specialist retailers across Europe. The firm, which listed the UK, Spain, France and Switzerland as major trade bases, was registered to offices in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire.
Liquidators from Wilkin Chapman LLP were appointed to the business as part of a voluntary winding up process on April 28, according to The Gazette. The decision to enter creditors’ voluntary liquidation (CVL) was made following a meeting last month, a procedure that usually involves a company’s directors seeking to liquidate it when debts can’t be paid.
Cheek House Ltd was founded by Mike Welburn, who started work as a barrow boy on Hull docks aged 15 before moving his family to Grimsby in 1981 to become manager on the Lincolnshire town’s North Wall.
After being made redundant in 1991, he began building up his own fish round and used the funds to launch his business.
Data from the Insolvency Service shows that the number of company insolvencies rose month-on-month by 7% in March to 2,022, with company voluntary arrangements (CVA) also doubling to 20.
Meanwhile, administrations surged 52% between February and March to 235 and were 82% higher than in March 2025, while compulsory liquidations jumped 18%.
Sarah Rayment, co-head of global restructuring at risk advisory firm Kroll, warned that fuel and transport costs were ramping up pressure on businesses of all sizes, coming on top of big increases in wage bills.
“As we saw after the beginning of the Ukrainian conflict, when fuel prices surged, there was a direct impact on logistics, haulage and delivery businesses,” she said.
“There are already big companies saying they will have no choice but to pass costs on to customers. It’s a lot more challenging for small and mid-sized companies and may sadly push many to the edge.”
Cheek House Ltd and Wilkin Chapman LLP have been contacted for comment.