The Seasonal Garden Cafe at Hahndorf’s owner Silvia Hart has told staff the Main Street business has been sold
Renowned SA foodie Silvia Hart is staring down a potential bankruptcy, and was subject to an arrest warrant — but is this the end of her once-sprawling empire?
An Adelaide Hills wedding venue and cafe operator, facing potential bankruptcy, has told staff she has sold the business, safeguarding their jobs and event bookings.
Seasonal Garden Cafe’s Silvia Hart informed staff on Wednesday night, via social media, that the Hahndorf cafe, where she started her health food empire, had been sold and that their jobs were secure.
In a message to a private staff Facebook group she said settlement of the sale should occur within four weeks and that the deal was the “only way” she and her partner Sebastian could look after her staff and those who had booked weddings and functions.
“Seb and I have been removing our personal affects (sic) and the items not included in sale,” she wrote.
“Please keep this quite (sic) as we will do a formal announcement shortly.”
The Advertiser has sought comment from Ms Hart who opened her Main Street business in 2012 providing organic and seasonal fare.
It would signal the end of an era for Ms Hart who progressively sold other outlets at Hahndorf, Stirling and Norwood.
Her staff announcement came a day after a Federal Circuit Court bankruptcy case against Ms Hart was adjourned for six weeks because a creditors’ petition had not been personally served against her.
Pooraka fruit and vegetable wholesaler AMJ Produce is seeking a sequestration order against her estate.
AMJ Produce secured an order last month to liquidate a separate company, Maerhuev Pty Ltd, controlled by Ms Hart, over its failure to pay a $55,000 produce bill.
If she is made bankrupt, Ms Hart would be prevented from being a director or being involved in the management of a company.
She would be able to operate a business but under strict criteria including needing to inform clients and suppliers of any bankruptcy.
The cafe posted on its page on July 5 that the 2019/20 wedding season was “almost fully booked”.
Ms Hart has told the paper last month that there was no threat to weddings as a result of the liquidation of Maerhuev, of which she is sole director and shareholder.
“Maerhuev is completely separate to The Seasonal Garden Cafe in Hahndorf — they’re completely different entities,” Ms Hart said at the time.
“The (Hahndorf) cafe does not operate under a corporate structure.”
In June an arrest warrant was issued against Ms Hart after she failed to attend a court hearing into a separate matter regarding unpaid wages.
In April she sold her Norwood branch, 17 months after opening The Parade business, and also sold her Stirling branch to her daughter in August 2018.
An offshoot at Hahndorf was sold this year.
She admitted to the paper in January that she owed staff thousands of dollars in unpaid superannuation and that she had entered into a payment plan with the ATO.
She had blamed her business’ difficulties on her decision to delegate management of the business owing to ongoing health issues, including five knee operations and fibromyalgia, a condition that causes chronic pain and fatigue.