Major Queensland Food Wholesaler Collapses After 20 Years of Operation

This photo illustration shows three Australian banknotes taken in Melbourne, Australia on Oct. 12, 2020. William West/AFP via Getty Images

A major Queensland wholesale foods company has entered administration with reports suggesting it owes $3.8 million to creditors.

Rydges Wholesale Foods and Stockman’s, based in the Brisbane suburb of Tingalpa, was listed as under administration on Sept. 10, with the first creditors’ meeting held on Sept. 22.

The company has operated for about 20 years delivering smallgoods, antipasto, as well as fresh and frozen poultry throughout Queensland and northern New South Wales.

It services retail chains like Foodworks, IGA, Spar, Night Owl, as well as government bodies.

“From the very beginning, Rydges Wholesale Foods has provided wholesale delivery services to retailers large and small, starting with quality smallgoods products,” its website states.

The company has a prominent presence in Queensland and merged with PASC Enterprises in 2008.

Business Sector Struggles Continue

The notice of administration comes as Australia’s wholesale sector reports modest growth with the number of businesses increasing just 0.5 percent in the year to June 2026, compared with the 3.1 percent growth across all businesses.

Separate Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed 46 percent of wholesale businesses complained of higher operating expenses in June, while 72 percent of wholesalers surveyed in May said higher freight and delivery costs were contributing to surging expenses.

The collapse of a major food operator comes after the May closure of Brisbane-based Jack Purcell Meats after 80 years of operation, as well as one of Australia’s largest wild prawn operators and wholesalers, Raptis, which closed after failing to find a buyer.

Earlier this month, Small Business Minister Anne Aly told reporters the cost of doing business was the biggest issue raised when she met with small business representatives during a roundtable in Tasmania.

“Their margins were getting thinner because of the cost of energy, but also the cost of freight,” she said.

Robert Hutson and Stacey Clisby of Kordamentha have been appointed the administrators.

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