By Dwayne Ferreira.
Romesh Ranganathan is heartbroken after Coughlans Bakery closes, ending an 89-year family business hit by rising costs.
Romesh Ranganathan has been left heartbroken after the family-run bakery chain he co-owned shut its doors, ending an 89-year legacy under heavy business costs.
One of Britain’s best-known independent bakery chains has closed for good, leaving the British-Sri Lankan comedian and television presenter devastated. The venture had quickly become more than a financial move for Ranganathan. It had become a personal passion.
Coughlans Bakery, founded in 1937, has ceased trading after entering voluntary liquidation. The decision brings an end to an 89-year family business that ran 31 stores across South East England. The company said it acted now so staff and suppliers could still be paid, despite mounting pressure on the business.
Ranganathan, whose parents are from Sri Lanka, became a part-owner of the bakery in 2024. He had described himself as a long-time admirer of the family-run brand. However, he did not behave like a distant celebrity investor. Instead, he promoted the bakery, worked behind counters, and became closely involved with the Coughlan family.
Romesh Ranganathan Reacts To Bakery Closure
After the announcement, Romesh Ranganathan shared the company’s emotional farewell message on social media and added a short response.
“Gutted isn’t the word.”
The brief message captured the pain of seeing a business he had grown to love disappear after almost nine decades.
Bakery co-owner Sean Coughlan said the closure marked one of the hardest decisions his family had ever made. In an emotional video, he explained that the company had been performing well until costs suddenly climbed. He cited higher employer National Insurance contributions, rising wages, business rates, and soaring fuel prices as key pressures.
According to Coughlan, those added expenses increased the bakery’s costs by around £20,000 a week. He also said recent heatwaves sharply reduced customer numbers while overheads stayed the same. That combination, he explained, delivered the final blow.
Despite opening new locations and recording steady growth over the past year, the company said it could no longer absorb the financial pressure.
Coughlans Bakery Hit By Rising Costs
Coughlan also paid tribute to Ranganathan, describing him as an “honorary Coughlan” who had embraced the bakery like family. He said he felt he had let the comedian down. However, Romesh Ranganathan quickly responded in public, telling him, “You’ve not let me down mate! Much love.”
In its farewell message, the bakery thanked generations of loyal customers, staff, and families who helped build the business across almost nine decades. It also urged people to keep supporting independent businesses, warning that Britain’s high streets remain under severe financial strain.
The closure has since triggered an outpouring of support online. Customers shared memories of the bakery and mourned the loss of another long-established independent retailer.
For Ranganathan, whose Sri Lankan heritage has made him one of Britain’s most recognisable entertainers of Sri Lankan origin, the closure ends a venture that went far beyond investment. It was a business he believed in, worked for, and proudly regarded as one of the most meaningful partnerships of his career.
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