A luxury British chocolate maker available at leading department stores is facing potential shutdown after filing for insolvency proceedings.
Marasu’s Petit Fours was established in 1986 by confectionery experts Rolf Kern and Gabi Kohler.
The business was created with the goal of providing London’s prestigious hotels, restaurants and exclusive clubs with high-end chocolates and small confectionery treats.
The enterprise expanded to become London’s biggest manufacturer of upscale chocolates, producing more than 300 tonnes annually from its manufacturing site spanning 25,000 square feet in Park Royal, according to business analysts Odoo.
Marasu’s, which came under the ownership of Prestat Group Ltd in 2006, has supplied confectionery to several renowned names, including Selfridges, Harrods, Fortnum & Mason and Pret a Manger.
After four decades in operation, Marasu’s Petit Fours now faces possible closure.
The luxury confectionery business entered administration last month, according to Companies House records, alongside its parent organisation Prestat Ltd.
Alessandro Sidoli and Jessica Barker from Xeinadin Corporate Recovery Limited have been named as joint administrators.
Marasu’s failure follows a difficult period for chocolate producers.
Industry publication The Grocery Gazette reports that worldwide cocoa costs reached unprecedented levels in 2024 after plant disease and severe weather conditions affected harvests in Ghana and Ivory Coast, which combined produce approximately 60 percent of the planet’s cocoa.
For manufacturers of luxury chocolates, the sharp increase in ingredient expenses, alongside elevated energy and operational costs, have severely compressed profit margins even for well-established traditional brands.
What does administration involve?
In basic terms, when a company enters administration it signifies that it cannot meet its financial obligations, according to SquareUp.com.
Companies House notes that when a company enters administration, it has initiated a formal legal procedure under the Insolvency Act 1986 with the goal of accomplishing one of the statutory purposes of administration. This could involve salvaging a viable enterprise that finds itself insolvent due to cash flow difficulties.
An administrator, who must be a licensed insolvency practitioner, will be appointed by directors, creditors or the courts to oversee the administration process.
A legal protection period is activated once administration begins, providing what is commonly described as breathing space to enable financial restructuring strategies to be developed without creditor pressure.
A business may continue operating during administration, though day-to-day management and oversight transfers to the administrators.
Companies House adds that within eight weeks the administrators must develop their proposals for the administration.
Creditors are subsequently invited to participate in a decision-making process to endorse the administrators’ proposals.
Should the administration involve selling the whole or part of the company’s operations, any proceeds after deducting procedure costs will be distributed to creditors according to a legally mandated hierarchy.
Administration concludes automatically after one year unless the administrator applies to the courts or creditors for additional time.
Through administration, a company may be restored to its directors, enter liquidation or be wound up.
Other British companies that have ceased trading or entered administration or liquidation in 2026 so far
The beginning of 2026 has proved challenging for the British retail sector, with multiple retailers entering administration and others declaring extensive store closure programmes.
Prominent high street chains including River Island, Primark and Poundland have already been compelled to shut outlets in 2026, while Revolution and BrewDog have closed 21 and 38 pubs respectively.
Several additional retailers have recently fallen into administration, including Russell and Bromley, Moores, Claire’s and The Original Factory Shop, Quiz and LK Bennett.
Four British travel businesses have ceased operations in the early weeks of 2026: Regen Central Ltd, Gold Crest Holidays, Asiara UK Ltd and Simply Florida Travel Ltd.
EcoJet Airlines, marketed as the world’s inaugural electric airline, has also entered liquidation after just three years of operation, resulting in the cancellation of all scheduled flights.
British delivery firm Yodel is scheduled to be gradually discontinued over the coming months following its acquisition by InPost.
Tesco has recently announced plans to reduce 380 positions across its stores nationwide, while reports suggest that Morrisons is considering divesting certain in-store pharmacy operations as part of ongoing cost reduction measures.
The British retail sector has not been entirely bleak, with several major brands confirming new store launch plans for 2026, including Aldi, M&S and Superdrug.