Chocolate administration: Marasu's Petit Fours, London's biggest luxury chocolate producer, plunges into administration
Marasu's Petit Fours, one of the capital's largest producers of premium chocolates, has been placed into administration after four decades in business. The move affects a factory in Park Royal that turns out more than 300 tonnes of confectionery a year and follows the closure of the parent group's flagship shop and a prepack sale that reshaped the group's ownership.
What happened and immediate consequences
The company brought in administrators on February 6 (ET) and confirmed the development on February 17 (ET). Operations at the Park Royal production site — a 25, 000 sq ft facility that produces hundreds of tonnes of chocolates annually — will now be reviewed by those handling the administration. Management said the business will transition to an online-focused model while the formal administration process unfolds.
The move follows a pre-arranged deal that shifted parts of the confectionery group into new hands. The restructuring included a sale to L’Artisan du Chocolate, an entity backed by Polus Capital Management, and involved other subsidiary brands that had been part of the same group. The prepack transaction was carried out as the wider group closed its long-standing Piccadilly shop.
Scale, customers and the strain on margins
Founded in the mid-1980s by patissiers Rolf Kern and Gabi Kohler, Marasu's Petit Fours expanded into a large-scale supplier for both premium food halls and mainstream outlets. Its output made it a principal supplier to high-end retailers and several national chains, supplying chocolates to locations known for luxury goods as well as some high-volume customers.
Despite that client list, the business struggled with a mix of rising input costs and pricing pressure from cheaper competitors. Cocoa prices surged to record levels in 2024 amid outbreaks of crop disease and adverse weather in major producing countries such as Ivory Coast and Ghana, which together account for a large share of global cocoa. Those supply-side shocks squeezed profit margins across the industry. Although prices have softened as global demand cooled, the timing and scale of the earlier spike left several producers exposed.
What this means for the sector and next steps
The administration of a large-scale artisan producer highlights strains across the premium confectionery market: producers face volatile raw-material costs, complex sourcing choices when using premium cocoa varieties, and intense competition from lower-priced alternatives. For workers and customers, the administration raises immediate uncertainty about jobs, supply contracts and product availability on retail shelves.
Administrators will assess the group's assets, contracts and possible buyers, while the newly arranged online presence is expected to keep some revenue streams open during the transition. For retailers that relied on Marasu's output, contingency sourcing will be a near-term priority as they secure stock for forthcoming seasonal peaks.
The outcome of the administration will be watched closely across the confectionery industry. The case underscores how supply-chain disruption and commodity volatility can unwind long-established makers, even those with large-scale manufacturing capabilities and prestigious clients.
