Big-name luxurious chocolate model brings in directors after 40 years

A British chocolate maker has entered administration, having become a cornerstone of London’s artisan chocolate industry over nearly four decades.

Marasu’s Petit Fours, one of Britain’s most celebrated chocolate manufacturers, appointed administrators on 6 February, confirming the news on Tuesday. 

Administrators were called in soon after the recent closure of Marasu’s Petit Fours’ parent company’s flagship Piccadilly shop after 124 years. 

The chocolate industry has been rocked by ballooning cocoa prices, which surged to a record high in 2024, just as crops were hammered by dire weather and disease. 

Alessandro Sidoli and Jessica Barker of Xeinadin Corporate Recovery Limited have been named as joint administrators for Marasu’s Petit Fours.

It remains unclear how many jobs could be at risk as a result of Marasu’s Petit Fours calling in administrators. 

A pre-pack administration deal will see parent company Prestat sold to L’Artisan du Chocolat, which is owned by Polus Capital Management.

Marasu’s parent firm Prestat was the upmarket chocolatier said to have inspired Roald Dahl, who mentioned Prestat’s truffles in his novel My Uncle Oswald.

This agreement was reached before administrators were formally appointed and is expected to see Prestat continue as an online-only business. Prestat had two royal warrants and was once named as one of the top three chocolate shops in the world.

Marasu’s Petit Fours traces its origins to 1987, when patissiers Rolf Kern and Gabi Kohler established the company. It was acquired by Prestat in 2006. 

Marasu’s Petit Fours established itself as London’s largest manufacturer of luxury chocolates, supplying the likes of Selfridges, Harrods, Prestat, Pret a Manger and Fortnum & Mason.

The firm operates from production facilities in Park Royal, where it turns out more than 300 tonnes of chocolate each year. 

This is Money contacted Xeinadin Corporate Recovery for comment. 

Swathes of businesses across Britain are buckling under the pressure of higher costs, taxes and wages under the Labour government. Many households are struggling to keep up with their own high costs, leading to cautious spending. 

In January, The Original Factory Shop collapsed into administration amid ‘challenging trading conditions’ and higher labour costs, putting 1,200 jobs at risk of being axed. 

Earlier this month, fashion chain Quiz entered administration for the third time in six years, with 109 members of staff in Scotland losing their jobs.

Administrators said the company, which was founded in 1993, had been struggling over the past year, culminating in poorer-than-expected sales over the Christmas period. 

The retailer’s 40 stores and seven concessions remain open, but will be holding clearance sales and not accepting refunds. Its online store has been closed.