Overview
- Marasu’s Petit Fours, described as London’s largest producer of premium chocolates, entered administration after February 6th appointments named Alessandro Sidoli and Jessica Barker of Xeinadin as joint administrators.
- The collapse followed Prestat entering administration, with its Piccadilly shop closed in February while the brand continues to trade online.
- Prestat is being sold in a pre-pack deal to L’Artisan du Chocolat, owned by Polus Capital Management, a fast sale arranged before insolvency to transfer assets and keep parts of a business operating.
- Marasu’s, founded in 1986, ran a 25,000‑square‑foot Park Royal site that produced more than 300 tonnes a year and supplied Prestat, Fortnum & Mason, Selfridges and Harrods.
- Record cocoa prices in 2024 plus weather‑hit crops in Ghana and Ivory Coast have squeezed margins across the sector, pressuring suppliers that served high‑end retailers.