A renowned UK luxury chocolate brand has entered administration following the closure of its iconic Piccadilly store.
UK Chocolate Administration (Source: X)
A well-known luxury chocolate brand in the UK is facing a serious setback in its business. After many years of pleasing chocolate fans, the company has now announced that it is going into administration. This follows the closure of its famous Piccadilly store by its parent company
A popular chocolate manufacturer in the UK, Marasu’s Petit Fours, has gone into administration after forty years of business. The company submitted a notice earlier this month to appoint joint administrators. This is a shock for the luxury brand.
Founded in 1987 by patissiers Rolf Kern and Gabi Kohler, Marasu’s Petit Fours was a familiar brand in the premium chocolate market, supplying quality products to well-known retailers such as Harrods, Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, and Pret a Manger. In 2006, the company was acquired by the Prestat Group, which is currently engaged in a pre-pack administration deal to be acquired by L’Artisan du Chocolat, an organization advised by Polus Capital Management.
The administrators dealing with the case are Alessandro Sidoli and Jessica Barker of Xeinadin Corporate Recovery Limited. On its social media platforms, Marasu’s Petit Fours is proud to announce its history: "Manufacturing luxury petits fours and chocolates in London since 1987."
Analysts attribute the crisis to the rising price of cocoa, which has been fueled by low yields and unfavorable climatic conditions in major cocoa-producing countries like Ghana and Ivory Coast. In Great Britain, chocolate prices jumped by 18.4% in November this year compared to the same period last year, according to Worldpanel.
Christian Aid pointed out that West Africa has experienced a dramatic change in climate, with record rainfall in 2023 and drought in 2024, which has affected yields. Osai Ojigho, director of policy and public campaigns at Christian Aid, stated: “Cocoa production is a lifeline for some of the poorest people in the world, and climate change caused by human activities is a serious threat to this.”
The cocoa industry is threatened by an “existential threat” due to drier climatic conditions. Narcisa Pricope, a professor at Mississippi State University, stated: “The fight against aridity is not just about saving chocolate but about fighting for the planet’s ability to support life.”
Even multinational chocolate companies are not spared. Lindt & Sprüngli, the Swiss chocolate company, announced that it would increase its prices to cover the rising cost of cocoa. The company made this announcement last year.
Nonetheless, Marasu’s Petit Fours has managed to uphold its reputation for quality, artisanal chocolates and petits fours for more than 40 years despite facing financial difficulties. The fact that the brand has gone into administration highlights the vulnerability of luxury food companies in the wake of global supply chain shocks, as well as the effects of climate change on cocoa-based livelihoods.
