Twenty-five Coughlans Bakery shops could soon be reopened as the majority of the company’s business and assets have been bought by Janes Bakery Limited.
Coughlans, which was founded in 1937, ceased trading on 1 July 2026, resulting in the redundancy of over 170 employees and closure of 31 sites across south London, Surrey, Kent, and West Sussex. These were supplied from its 25,000 sq ft production site in Thornton Heath.
Managing director Sean Coughlan said various factors contributed to the decision to enter voluntary liquidation, including the latest hikes to National Insurance contributions and minimum wage, business rates, and a rise in monthly fuel bills as a result of the ongoing war in Iran.
The business entered creditors’ voluntary liquidation on 15 July 2026 with Paul Bailey and Kirren Keegan of BABR appointed as joint liquidators, with the sale to Janes Bakery completed on 5 August.
Café and bakery business Janes Bakery was founded in 1971 and operates 12 sites across the Gloucestershire region from which it serves a range of freshly baked bread, cakes, and pastries.
The financial details of the deal have not been disclosed but BABR said it secures the future of 25 of the 31 former Coughlans locations, creates a ‘substantial number of employment opportunities’, and enables bakery services to return to many of the communities previously served by the business.
“From the outset of our appointment, our objective was to secure a purchaser capable of reopening as many locations as possible and preserving employment opportunities where circumstances allowed,” said Paul Bailey, licensed insolvency practitioner and co-founder of BABR.
“This transaction provides 25 of the company’s 31 former locations with the opportunity to trade again and we hope that a significant number of former employees will be able to secure new roles with the purchaser as operations recommence.”
Notably, the sale does not include the Coughlans name meaning the stores will be reopened under the Janes Bakery brand.
“Coughlans has been part of local life for generations. When shops close suddenly, the impact is felt by staff, loyal customers and the wider high street,” said David Davies, CEO of Janes Bakery.
“Our job now is to move quickly but responsibly: reopen viable shops under the Janes name, welcome former Coughlans colleagues.”
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