CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND — The Sara Lee desserts and baked foods business in Australia has entered voluntary administration.

“Sara Lee is an iconic brand that produces quality Australian made products from its manufacturing facility in Lisarow NSW, where it employs some 200 staff,” said Vaughan Strawbridge, an appointed administrator from FTI Consulting. “We are working with Sara Lee’s management team and staff to continue operations while we secure the future of the business. We are immediately commencing a process to sell or restructure the business and continue its long history of manufacturing in Australia.”

The announcement comes a little more than two years after New Zealand-based investor group South Island Office (SIO) acquired the Sara Lee desserts and baked foods business in Australia from McCain Foods (Aust) Pty. Ltd. in a transaction valued at around $95 million. The Sara Lee business was combined with Christchurch-based baking company Original Foods Baking Co., which SIO acquired in February 2021.