London's biggest luxury chocolate producer plunges into chocolate administration
Marasu's Petit Fours, which supplied many of the capital's most prestigious retailers and turned out more than 300 tonnes of chocolate a year from its Park Royal plant, has entered administration after four decades in business. Administrators were brought in on February 6, 2026 (ET) and the company confirmed the move on February 17, 2026 (ET), a development that follows a pre-arranged sale of parts of the wider group.
Scale, clients and an abrupt shift to online
Founded in 1986 by patissiers Rolf Kern and Gabi Kohler, the firm grew into the capital's largest producer of premium chocolates, operating from a 25, 000 sq ft plant in west London. Its output and artisan reputation made it a regular supplier to high-end food halls and retailers, as well as to national chains seeking premium confectionery lines.
The parent company recently closed its flagship Piccadilly shop and completed a prepack arrangement with another specialist chocolate manufacturer owned by Polus Capital Management. The deal included several subsidiary brands, and Marasu's is set to transition to an online-only operation as part of the restructuring.
Market pressures and operational challenges
Producers across the sector have faced sharply higher input costs and unstable supply in recent years. Disease outbreaks and adverse weather in major cocoa-growing regions such as Ivory Coast and Ghana have reduced harvests; those two countries account for around 60% of global cocoa output. Cocoa prices surged to record highs in 2024, squeezing margins for chocolatiers reliant on premium beans and complex recipes.
Marasu's push into rarer, premium cocoa varieties was intended to differentiate its products but exposed the business to higher commodity prices and inventory risk at a time when competitors offered lower-cost alternatives. As demand softened and input prices eased from their peaks, the company struggled to restore profitability while maintaining the scale of production its clients required.
What happens next for staff, suppliers and customers
The prepack deal transferred parts of the business to a new owner while administrators manage the remaining affairs. The restructure aims to preserve some production capability and protect customer supply lines by consolidating manufacturing under new operational plans, but it will involve job losses and renegotiation with suppliers.
For retailers and food halls that relied on the firm's output, the immediate priority will be continuity of supply. The move to online-only trading for the Marasu's retail brand narrows its direct retail footprint but could allow the new owners to prioritise contract manufacturing and bespoke wholesale orders from a smaller operational base.
The episode underlines growing volatility in the premium end of the chocolate market: brands balancing craftsmanship, commodity exposure and economies of scale are particularly vulnerable when cocoa markets swing and consumer demand softens. Administrators will now work through creditor claims, assess viable operations and seek buyers or carve-outs that could preserve elements of the business.
After 40 years, the collapse of one of London's most established premium chocolate producers is a reminder that heritage and craftsmanship do not insulate firms from global supply shocks, shifting consumer patterns and the pressures of scaling artisanal production to commercial volumes.
