Offbeet owner Peter Axworthy forced to liquidate business after claiming he was kicked off his Christchurch site by owner Meyrick Estate

THE owner of Christchurch plant-based restaurant Offbeet has been forced to liquidate his business after claiming he was ordered to pack up and leave his site by the landowner with just 24 hours’ notice.

Peter Axworthy launched his eatery at wellness centre The Retreat New Forest in Hinton nearly two years ago, leasing the building from Meyrick Estate.

To his shock, he says he was kicked off the site by the estate months before that lease was due to end so another restaurant offering meat and dairy could move in.

Peter said he was ordered to sign a deed of surrender and move off the site within just 24 hours last Tuesday, and that when he objected to this he was told that if he refused, a statutory demand would be served on him to pay outstanding utility bills.

“In our first year of leasing the building, despite requesting them multiple times, we were not given any utility bills,” he said. “Then, with our lease coming up for renewal we were hit with a year’s worth of bills.

“I complained, saying, ‘You can’t suddenly invoice us for this much money out of the blue’, and they understood.

“They weren’t going to write it off, but agreed that once we found our feet a repayment plan would be written up.

“We obviously kept up with the current bills, and around two weeks ago I contacted The Retreat to say I was going to start repaying the debt in installments.

“Then last Tuesday I was called to a meeting with the estate manager and the manager of The Retreat.”

Peter said the pair began the “catch-up” by quizzing him over how invested he was in the restaurant, before telling him they needed a restaurant that opened for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week.

“That is exactly what I’ve been trying to do,” explained Peter. “But we’ve had a really hard time recruiting staff, which is a problem generally in the hospitality industry.

“I assumed they were going to tell me they wouldn’t be renewing my lease at the end of November, but they then said they wanted me out before the weekend.

“My mind started whirling because I have suppliers to pay and staff that need to find a job – I told them I couldn’t just shut down a business in a day.

“Their response was that I owed them money and that if I didn’t pay it by the next day a statutory demand would be issued.”

That demand was never issued, because soon after Peter was forced to proceed with a voluntary liquidation.

Peter’s family helped him hire a lawyer, and he was repaid the thousands he had invested in the restaurant building. However, this cash all went back into the liquidation process, he said.

“I was a mess,” he said. “I had so many plans for Offbeet – we were going to really push the cookery school offering and were in the process of launching a brunch menu.

“Then all of a sudden that was all taken away. All the personal touches I had made to the building and my whole routine, that was all gone.

“Having a big powerful estate come to you and put that kind of pressure on you was a huge strain, and it got to a point where my partner and my family wouldn’t leave me alone because I was in such a state.”

Peter said Meyrick was able to pull the lease because he owed them money.

“The only way they could get out of the lease was if they issued a demand for the money I owed them,” he said.

“I have never fallen out with The Retreat, we’ve done exactly what we said we’d do; I’ve invested around £60,000 in the business, and our reviews have been fantastic, with people coming from afar to eat there.”

When approached by the A&T, Meyrick Estate refused to comment.

Peter also runs an Offbeet restaurant in Southsea, which he says he will be focusing on for now.