A popular Aussie food supplier has collapsed after over three decades in business. 

The five companies trading as The Essential Ingredient, entered into voluntary administration on Thursday. 

It comes just days after award-winning dairy manufacturer Beston Global Food Company announced it was in voluntary administration. 

The Essential Ingredient employed 60 staff before its collapse and featured as a specialty food brand on the hit show Masterchef Australia. 

The company was first established in 1986 and sells cookware, kitchen equipment and culinary books from local and international suppliers. 

It had three stores, an online shop and a wholesale business to the food services and retail industry before it collapsed after 34 years. 

Robert Ditrich, Rebecca Gill and Craig Crosbie of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Australia have been appointed as voluntary administrators.

The Essential Ingredient directors Syd Weddell and Peter Walmsley described the collapse as an ‘enormous disappointment’. 

The Essential Ingredient (pictured) employed 60 staff before its collapse and featured as a specialty food brand on the hit show Masterchef Australia

The company had ben unable to return to pre-Covid profitability despite some post-pandemic investments in growth, the directors said. 

‘We are committed to working with PwC and our talented staff to continue servicing our highly valued customers,’ they said. 

Administrators said the business had faced a ‘challenging’ operating environment.

‘The legacy of stock losses during the covid closure and higher operating costs has all taken a toll on profitability,’ Mr Ditrich said.

‘Our aim is to move quickly to preserve the business and as many jobs as possible. We intend to continue trading and sell the business and assets as a going concern, with strong interest expected from prospective buyers.’

It comes three days after dairy brand Beston Global Food Company – which supplies to Coles, Woolworths and IGA – announced it had gone bust. 

KPMG has taken control of the award-winning company, which is among the largest SA dairy exporters.

The Essential Ingredient had three stores (pictured), an online shop and a wholesale business to the food services and retail industry before it collapsed after 34 years

Beston Global Food Company which manufactures Edwards Crossing (pictured) and Mabel’s cheeses has entered into voluntary administration

In addition to its well known cheeses, the company also sold whey and lactoferrin protein to supplement manufacturers, including Chinese baby formula makers, and its factories produced milk and butter.

Beston blamed its collapse on the high cost of energy and a dip in farmgate milk prices. It also said successive interest rate rises over the previous two years had increased the company debts. 

The manufacturer has two factories at Jervois, south-east of Adelaide, and at Murray Bridge as well as established relationships with SA and western Victorian diary farmers and international buyers.

It had been in talks with Japanese dairy giant Megamilk Snow Brand to purchase the Jervois production facility, but this fell through last week.