Oxford Woodburners has ceased trading after 14 years serving Oxfordshire, entering voluntary liquidation at the end of last year. Founder Kit Sandham said the closure followed the death of his best friend and business partner, alongside HMRC’s swift pursuit of unpaid Corporation Tax once the company began winding down.
Documents filed with Companies House show the business owed £16,000 in unpaid Corporation Tax. Sandham said HMRC gave little time before debt collectors “took everything” once the closure process began.
Sandham also pointed to what he called “misinformation” about woodburning stoves, criticising comparisons of woodburners to diesel trucks as “insane” and describing exaggerated warnings from official organisations as poorly researched. He said the demotivating environment had added to pressure on an industry he acknowledged was already in decline, alongside broader economic conditions that he said were pushing “zombie businesses” under. The introduction of low traffic neighbourhoods in and around Oxford had also made deliveries more difficult.
Despite the closure, Sandham said he was confident about starting a new electrical company, the Oxford Mail reported.
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