Flat Cap Hotels enters administration

Flat Cap Hotels, which was founded by two former Acorn Award winners, has entered administration after nine years of trading.

Brothers and third-generation hoteliers Oliver and Dominic Heywood founded the Cheshire-based hotel group, which consisted of the Bridge in Prestbury, the Vicarage in Cranage (pictured) and the Courthouse in Knutsford, in 2015.

The hotels were known for being food-led destinations located in heritage sites, with the Bridge in Prestbury receiving the 2021 Hotel Catey Award for Hotel Restaurant Team of the Year.

Partners at Begbies Traynor were appointed as joint administrators last week (18 January), who revealed the Bridge and Vicarage will continue to trade as normal, while the Courthouse has been closed.

A spokesperson for the administrators said: “Like many others in the hospitality sector, despite having an excellent reputation and a strong brand, the business has been impacted by a combination of factors, including the pandemic, inflation and the challenging economic environment for consumers.

“The focus is now on stabilising the operating position of the business and exploring future options. The Bridge and the Vicarage will continue to trade as normal, while The Courthouse has ceased trading.”

Unaudited and unabridged accounts for the year ended 29 December 2022 revealed Flat Cap Hotels had total fixed assets of £15.5m, net current liabilities of £13.6m and total net liabilities of just over £341,000.