Romesh Ranganathan-backed London bakery chain Coughlans to close after almost 100 years

A bakery chain part-owned by comedian Romesh Ranganathan has announced it is closing after almost 100 years in business.

Coughlans Bakery, which first opened in 1937 and has 31 stores across southeast England, with many in London, has ceased trading after going into voluntary liquidation.

In a video posted to Instagram, co-owner Sean Coughlan said that the chain made the decision to ensure that they can pay their suppliers and staff.

He said that he was “devastated” by the closures, adding that everything had been going “swimmingly” until March when a number of factors began to hurt the business.

From April 1, extra National Insurance payments along with wage increases began to take their toll.

Mr Coughlan said: “Rates have absolutely smashed local businesses, local retail.”

Mr Coughlan said these taxes, combined with the spike in fuel prices in the wake of the conflict in the Middle East, cost the company an extra £20,000 a week.

He said that the company’s fuel bill had doubled from £3,000 to £6,000, and that the recent heatwaves were the “nail in the coffin”, with stores only making 50% of their normal take during those periods with outgoings remaining exactly the same.

“Everything has been thrown at us,” he said - paying tribute to Romesh Ranganathan as an "honorary Coughlan” having purchased a stake in the business in 2024.

Mr Coughlan said that Ranganathan had included himself into the family and the business, and admitted he felt that he had let the comedian down.

Ranganathan, the star of shows such as A League Of Their Own, The Weakest Link, and Rob & Romesh Vs…, commented on the post, stating: “You’ve not let me down mate! Much love.”

The comedian reposted Mr Coughlan’s video to his 1.4 million followers on Instagram with the caption: “Gutted isn’t the word.”

A Coughlans statement added: “It’s been our absolute honour to have served you all our tasty treats and thank you all for your incredible support and love and we will miss you all.

“Thank you to all our team over the last 89 years that made Coughlans Bakery the fun environment it has been, thank you to all our families who are always absolute rocks and a massive thank you to our newest family member Romesh.

“You’ve been incredible, kind, compassionate and we’ve had so much fun together and fingers crossed we can do something in the future as our partnership is very special and you will be my family forever.

“Please please please remember to shop local, our high streets need your love.”

A number of Coughlans customers took to social media to share their disappointment at the news.

One wrote: “Utterly heartbroken for the whole team, it was such a treat to grab a treat there on the weekend. So much stuff was plant based, made it easy for vegans too. Hoping they can find a way to rebuild at some point in the future.”

Another said: “Gutted - so much better than Greggs food and now where do I go for my lunch? This government has a lot to answer for - how much money do they think businesses earn selling doughnuts?”

One person shared the Instagram reel, adding: “89 years this bakery has been going and 41 members of the family have worked there over that time. But they’ve had to close due to the rise in costs of everything. This is so wrong!!!”

It appears that all 31 Coughlans stores will close with immediate effect - including a number of branches across Croydon and Coulsdon in south London.