Luxury chocolate manufacturer Marasu’s Petit Fours this week confirmed that it has entered administration following the collapse of its parent company, bringing an abrupt end to nearly four decades as one of London’s most prominent premium chocolate producers.

The business confirmed administrators were appointed on 6 February, with the news announced on 17 February, after mounting financial pressures at the Prestat Group culminated in the closure of its flagship Piccadilly store.

Founded in 1987 by patissiers Rolf Kern and Gabi Kohler, Marasu’s grew to become London’s largest producer of premium chocolates, supplying retailers including Selfridges, Harrods, Fortnum & Mason and Pret a Manger from its Park Royal facility.

A pre-pack administration deal has seen Prestat sold to L’Artisan du Chocolat, backed by Polus Capital Management, allowing the brand to continue trading as an online-only business. However, the process is expected to have wider repercussions for suppliers and employees.

Rising costs and parent company pressures behind collapse

Marasu’s administration is closely tied to the financial difficulties of its parent company, with the closure of Prestat’s Piccadilly store removing a key retail anchor for the group and accelerating its financial decline. As a manufacturing business operating within the same corporate structure, Marasu’s was directly impacted once the wider group entered administration.

Nick Stockley, partner at Mayo Wynne Baxter, said the chocolatier’s failure stemmed directly from the administration of its parent company.

He added: “Marasu’s commercial property lease will be terminated, their suppliers will go unpaid and customer orders will not be fulfilled. This will inevitably have a cascading negative impact up and down the supply chain.”

The collapse also reflects broader pressures across the chocolate sector. Global cocoa prices surged to record highs in 2024 after disease and extreme weather hit crops in Ghana and Ivory Coast, which together account for around 60 per cent of global cocoa production.

For premium chocolate manufacturers, sharply rising ingredient costs, combined with higher energy and operating expenses, have significantly squeezed margins even for established heritage brands.

Marasu’s administration marks a significant moment for London’s luxury confectionery sector, underlining how rising costs and group-level instability are putting even long-established businesses under strain.