Award-winning West Coast pie business in liquidation over $500k in unpaid tax, as owner starts new company

Tuesday, 23 June 2026

The Better Pie Company, which operates under the name West Coast Pie Company, has gone into liquidation over outstanding taxes.

The company behind the award-winning West Coast Pie Company has been put into liquidation over more than $500,000 in outstanding taxes.

A liquidator has estimated the total debts owed by Westport-based The Better Company will surpass $1.4 million.

The company, which makes and sells meat pies with wild game fillings, is majority owned by local businesswoman Emily Lucas, who also owns Waikari Outpost Ltd and BPC Cafe Group. There are cafes on Palmerston St in Westport; and in Waikari in North Canterbury, the latter of which was closed on Tuesday morning.

Emily Lucas of West Coast Pie Co says trading became difficult.

The Better Pie Company Ltd was put into the hands of a liquidator on June 16 at the request of its shareholders.

On the same day, Lucas incorporated a new company, The Wild Food Co Ltd, of which she is the sole shareholder.

In a statement on the business’s website, Lucas said the liquidation follows “an extended negotiation period with Inland Revenue”.

“The company’s directors made the very difficult decision to place the business into voluntary liquidation and are fully co-operating throughout the process.”

The West Coast Pie Co - Waikari Outpost. It was closed on Tuesday morning.

Prior to the liquidation, they had “bucked trends” with strong growth and successful summer trading, she said.

“However, like many businesses across hospitality and retail, we have faced an increasingly difficult trading environment over the past year.”

This included several months’ disruption from construction outside the factory, said Lucas.

“We are now transitioning through a planned restructure with our focus toward the future… this includes protecting jobs where possible, maintaining key supplier relationships, and ensuring continuity for our customers and stockists.”

There are yet hopes the pie company can be saved and sold as a going concern.

Lucas told the liquidator the company made a significant investment in expanding its production capability in 2022. This included buying manufacturing equipment, employing more staff and entering into a lease so it could manufacture on a larger scale.

Press reporter Martin van Beynen enjoys a West Coast Pie Company product during his 2020 ‘Crust to Crust’ tour.

A spokesperson for Development West Coast confirmed it had provided commercial finance to The Better Pie Company and was in communication with the liquidator.

According to NZ Life & Leisure Magazine, the 2022 expansion increased staff to 17 and producing 5000 pies weekly, plus bakery goods for the retail shop. In addition to being sold in the shop, pies were sent nationwide via online orders to individuals, speciality retailers and commercial outlets including 40 of Monteith’s bars.

The West Coast pies garnered national accolades, winning a gold and silver medal at the 2022 Outstanding NZ Food Producers Awards.

The West Coast Pie Co cafe on Palmerston St, Westport.

In 2024, the company entered a further supply arrangement which was expected to increase production and sales, the liquidator said.

“While these opportunities reflected strong potential and were entered into in good faith, the forecast growth did not fully eventuate as anticipated,” the liquidator’s report said.

Venison pies being made at the West Coast Pie Company in 2020.

The company faced higher costs than were sustainable in the market conditions. It fell into arrears with creditors and Inland Revenue, it said. The shareholders exhausted their own funds.

The liquidator had provided a “related party” with a licence to operate the business, so that a sale could be explored.

Lucas previously ran the Bay House restaurant, bar and gallery at Cape Foulwind near Westport.

The licence agreement was subject to being approved by Development West Coast, which had a security over company property.

The report shows the company had assets worth $84,000 available to Development West Coast and $20,000 accounts receivable available to unsecured preferential creditors. It owed employees more than $59,000 and Inland Revenue $554,000.

Shareholder advances were almost $770,000 and other suppliers were owed more than $72,000.

Lucas previously owned and operated two successful restaurants in Westport, the Bay House at Cape Foulwind and the Town House restaurant. She previously worked at the luxury Hurakia Lodge on Rakino Island, where she hosted high-profile celebrity weddings. She previously supplied food for the Ngāti Waewae-owned cafe at the $41 million Punangairi visitor centre in Punakaiki.

Lucas told The Press on Tuesday her priority in the liquidation was protecting staff.

She refused to comment on her new company, nor who was running the pie business now, citing commercial sensitivity.