Liquidator and former business owner dispute ownership of whisky casks
Tuesday 29 September 2026 · 2 outlets · 2 reports · updated In this story Labour Inspectorate
Liquidator Brenton Hunt is seeking ownership of 700 litres of Cardrona Distillery sherry and bourbon in the High Court. Hunt alleges the casks were purchased with Big Daddy’s Ltd funds, while director Hardeep Singh disputes the claim. The liquor is potentially worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Key facts
5 facts
- Liquidator Brenton Hunt is pursuing 700 litres of whisky
- The whisky is from Cardrona Distillery
- Big Daddy's Ltd is in liquidation
- The estimated debt to creditors is between $1.8 million and $1.9 million
- Associate Judge Bill Gambrill set a filing deadline of 14 October
The full story
1 min read · 2 outlets
Liquidator Brenton Hunt is seeking to reclaim two barrels of Cardrona Distillery whisky from Hardeep Singh. The assets consist of 500 litres ageing in a sherry cask and 200 litres in a bourbon cask. Hunt argues the whisky was purchased with company funds and transferred to Singh's personal ownership shortly before the liquidation of Big Daddy’s Ltd.
The High Court in Christchurch heard the matter last week, where Singh, who is representing himself, requested two to three weeks to file further evidence. Associate Judge Bill Gambrill has given Singh until 14 October to file this evidence. The liquidator's lawyer, Stephen Caradus, noted that Singh's previous filings had been "illegible".
Big Daddy’s Ltd entered liquidation following court action over unpaid rent and lease obligations at the Bush Inn shopping centre. The company's estimated shortfall to creditors is nearly $1.9 million, while other reports estimate the debt at more than $1.8 million.
Singh and his wife, Gauravjot Kaur, have previously faced issues regarding unpaid wages and Labour Inspectorate complaints. Their property portfolio has also changed, with the sale of Homesteadcare Ilam and Bloomfield Court in Rangiora.
Where reports differ
- Reports vary on the estimated debt to creditors, citing either nearly $1.9 million or more than $1.8 million
- One report estimates the whisky value at hundreds of thousands of dollars, while another specifies it is valued at over $50,000
Compiled from reports by The Press and Stuff.