By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:00 EST, 17 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:00 EST, 17 January 2014 . A 79-year-old family-run underwear firm backed by retail guru Mary Portas has gone into administration with the loss of 33 jobs. Headen & Quarmby was chosen by Miss Portas to make underwear for her Kinky Knickers brand, sold in high street shops such as M&S. In a 2012 TV series she documented the launch of the venture, which aimed to revive the ailing UK textile industry which has been decimated by the availability of cheap imports. Empty drawers: Headen & Quarmby in Middleton, Greater Manchester was chosen by Mary Portas for her three-part Channel Four series Mary's Bottom Line . Business was booming at the Headen and . Quarmby factory in Middleton, Greater Manchester, after it was featured . in a three-part Channel Four series Mary’s Bottom Line. She . was charged with reviving British manufacturing - and to prove that . homegrown enterprise and workers could create high quality clothing. Millions . watched as eight raw apprentices were taken on board, overseen by Lynn . Birbeck, whose family founded the factory in 1935. The . resulting ‘kinky knickers’ range was a resounding success and helped . prove Portas’ ethos that quality, homegrown products could compete on . the high street against cheap foreign imports. But now, less than two years later, the factory has closed and the firm has gone into administration, with the loss of 33 jobs. Bosses pointed to a lack of pre-Christmas orders from ‘key customers’ for the closure. Revived: Despite an early success which saw the factory double its workforce, the 'knicker factory' has now been forced to close and fire 33 employees . Until recently the experiment was said to be a success for the Middleton company. The . colourful lace lingerie was said to be in such demand since going on . sale in early 2012 at stores including Boots, House of Fraser and online . fashion retailers, an initial production run for 5,000 led to orders . for 45,000. Eight . apprentices were taken on originally, paid for by TV production company . Endemol for the first nine months. And more were taken on as the factory . doubled their workforce to meet demand. One employee, who didn’t want to be named, said: ‘It has come as such a shock, we had no idea the business was in trouble.’ BDO . LLP business restructuring partners, Kerry Bailey and Patrick Lannagan, . were appointed Joint Administrators over Headen & Quarmby on 15 . January 2014, a spokesman said. Kerry . Bailey, BDO business restructuring partner said: ‘The Company employs . 33 staff and regrettably, it has been necessary to make all employees . redundant. ‘The Joint . Administrators are currently investigating options to recommence trading . and fulfil customer orders, with a view to affecting a sale of the . business as a going concern. ‘A . drop in post-Christmas orders from key customers and a decline in sales . volumes has significantly affected the business and resulted in a . deterioration of its working capital position. However, we are doing . everything we can to try to secure a future for the business, and we are . hopeful of securing a sale. ‘To . that end, the administration team would welcome approaches from . commercial parties interested in acquiring the business or assets.’ Kinky knickers: Portas with a pair of the popular pants made using lace from a Nottingham supplier . Bad sales: Management blamed 'poor Christmas sales' for the closure . Middleton knicker factory Headen and Quarmby’s manufacturing had been mothballed ahead of Portas’s TV show. Speaking . at the time of the show Portas said: ‘The reaction has been amazing. Now the plan is to export and I’m hoping we’ll have another two . factories making the knickers. ‘I’ve . already had to take on an additional two apprentices to cope with . demand. There is a real appetite for British-made clothing in this . country. ‘I sincerely believe that people want to buy British, but that choice was taken away from them.’ Speaking in 2012 MD David Moore said the knickers were so popular his staff were struggling to cope with demand. In . December 2012 a fourth instalment of the show was broadcast to show the . progress on the project. It included how the team had to scale up . production to cope with the huge demand for the frilly knickers, which . were being sold for a pricey but affordable £10. Ahead . of the Channel Four show Headen & Quarmby were a family firm . established 70 years ago who had to send production overseas to make . ends meet. Only a tiny section of their huge factory on the outskirts of . Manchester was being used with rows of neglected sewing machines under . covers.
Headen & Quarmby featured in Channel 4 documentary in 2012 .
Factory that made Mary Portas' 'Kinky Knickers' forced to close .
By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:00 EST, 17 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:00 EST, 17 January 2014 . A 79-year-old family-run underwear firm backed by retail guru Mary Portas has gone into administration with the loss of 33 jobs. Headen & Quarmby was chosen by Miss Portas to make underwear for her Kinky Knickers brand, sold in high street shops such as M&S. In a 2012 TV series she documented the launch of the venture, which aimed to revive the ailing UK textile industry which has been decimated by the availability of cheap imports. Empty drawers: Headen & Quarmby in Middleton, Greater Manchester was chosen by Mary Portas for her three-part Channel Four series Mary's Bottom Line . Business was booming at the Headen and . Quarmby factory in Middleton, Greater Manchester, after it was featured . in a three-part Channel Four series Mary’s Bottom Line. She . was charged with reviving British manufacturing - and to prove that . homegrown enterprise and workers could create high quality clothing. Millions . watched as eight raw apprentices were taken on board, overseen by Lynn . Birbeck, whose family founded the factory in 1935. The . resulting ‘kinky knickers’ range was a resounding success and helped . prove Portas’ ethos that quality, homegrown products could compete on . the high street against cheap foreign imports. But now, less than two years later, the factory has closed and the firm has gone into administration, with the loss of 33 jobs. Bosses pointed to a lack of pre-Christmas orders from ‘key customers’ for the closure. Revived: Despite an early success which saw the factory double its workforce, the 'knicker factory' has now been forced to close and fire 33 employees . Until recently the experiment was said to be a success for the Middleton company. The . colourful lace lingerie was said to be in such demand since going on . sale in early 2012 at stores including Boots, House of Fraser and online . fashion retailers, an initial production run for 5,000 led to orders . for 45,000. Eight . apprentices were taken on originally, paid for by TV production company . Endemol for the first nine months. And more were taken on as the factory . doubled their workforce to meet demand. One employee, who didn’t want to be named, said: ‘It has come as such a shock, we had no idea the business was in trouble.’ BDO . LLP business restructuring partners, Kerry Bailey and Patrick Lannagan, . were appointed Joint Administrators over Headen & Quarmby on 15 . January 2014, a spokesman said. Kerry . Bailey, BDO business restructuring partner said: ‘The Company employs . 33 staff and regrettably, it has been necessary to make all employees . redundant. ‘The Joint . Administrators are currently investigating options to recommence trading . and fulfil customer orders, with a view to affecting a sale of the . business as a going concern. ‘A . drop in post-Christmas orders from key customers and a decline in sales . volumes has significantly affected the business and resulted in a . deterioration of its working capital position. However, we are doing . everything we can to try to secure a future for the business, and we are . hopeful of securing a sale. ‘To . that end, the administration team would welcome approaches from . commercial parties interested in acquiring the business or assets.’ Kinky knickers: Portas with a pair of the popular pants made using lace from a Nottingham supplier . Bad sales: Management blamed 'poor Christmas sales' for the closure . Middleton knicker factory Headen and Quarmby’s manufacturing had been mothballed ahead of Portas’s TV show. Speaking . at the time of the show Portas said: ‘The reaction has been amazing. Now the plan is to export and I’m hoping we’ll have another two . factories making the knickers. ‘I’ve . already had to take on an additional two apprentices to cope with . demand. There is a real appetite for British-made clothing in this . country. ‘I sincerely believe that people want to buy British, but that choice was taken away from them.’ Speaking in 2012 MD David Moore said the knickers were so popular his staff were struggling to cope with demand. In . December 2012 a fourth instalment of the show was broadcast to show the . progress on the project. It included how the team had to scale up . production to cope with the huge demand for the frilly knickers, which . were being sold for a pricey but affordable £10. Ahead . of the Channel Four show Headen & Quarmby were a family firm . established 70 years ago who had to send production overseas to make . ends meet. Only a tiny section of their huge factory on the outskirts of . Manchester was being used with rows of neglected sewing machines under . covers.
Headen & Quarmby was chosen by Miss Portas to was chosen by Mary Portas for her three-part featured . in a three-part Channel Four series 'knicker factory' has now been forced to close