Denheath Desserts, known for its popular custard squares, has been put into liquidation.
Over 12% of Denheath shares were held by the estate of Brian James Kenton. In March, the executors of Kenton’s estate filed an application with the High Court in Timaru to liquidate the company.
The Official Assignee was appointed to Denheath Corporation Ltd. Its notice advised creditors and anyone with relevant information to assist the liquidation process to get in touch through the insolvency.govt.nz website.
Donald and Lisa Templeton, directors of Denheath, held 71.49% of the company’s shares. Geoff Cloake owned 5.6%, Vaughan Moloney held 4%, Albert and Raymond Gain together owned 4%, Josephine Turnell along with Mark and Sarah Lawson held 1.6%, and Kevin Guthrie owned 0.8%.
Denheath once described its squares as being “as Kiwi as alpine ranges, glacier-fed lakes, and little men with hairy feet.”
The company also produced profiteroles and cheesecakes. Its name was inspired by Denheath House, a country café located in the old post office of Pleasant Point, South Canterbury.
The café where the squares were originally sold was owned by Dennis Knight and his potter wife, Heather, which is where the name Denheath comes from. Lisa Templeton worked at the Knights’ arts and crafts shop in Pleasant Point during her secondary school years.
The family-owned manufacturer has distributed its products through over 53 Costco locations in New Zealand, Australia, Korea, and Japan.
The company initiated a $1.2 million fundraising campaign in 2016 to finance a factory upgrade. However, the fundraiser fell short, collecting just under $380,000.
The company was put up for sale at the end of 2023. Lisa Templeton was unwell at the time and wished to spend more time with her family.