Coughlans Bakery – which operates two stores in Horsham and in Crawley – announced it had ceased trading on Tuesday, June 30, after it went into voluntary liquidation.
Ranganathan, who is best known for his deadpan stand-up comedy, became a co-owner of the bakery chain in 2024, describing it as “the partnership of the century”.
In a video posted to Facebook, managing director Sean Coughlan said the decision to close was affected in part by the government’s decision to increase national insurance contributions for employers in April last year.
He also blamed high business rates, which he said had “absolutely smashed local business”.
Mr Coughlan said these taxes, combined with the spike in fuel prices in the wake of the conflict in the Middle East, cost the company an extra £20,000 a week.
Ranganathan reposted Mr Coughlan’s video to his 1.4 million followers on Instagram with the caption: “Gutted isn’t the word.”
In the video, Mr Coughlan said: “Romesh has been amazing, I want to thank him so much. I feel like we’ve absolutely let him down. Everything he’s done, it’s been from the heart.
“He’s devastated. None of us saw this coming. We were looking forward to working together. We had so much fun.
“There’s not a day working with Rom we haven’t had a great time, and he’s really included himself into our family.”
The bakery on Blackbridge Lane in Horsham (Image: NQ)
Mr Coughlan said recent heatwaves, which saw the South East England swelter in temperatures as high as 35C, had been the “nail in the coffin”.
“These two heatwaves where no-one really seems to come out,” he said.
“We literally take about 50% of what we would normally take in a normal week, with our outgoing still exactly the same, which is absolutely heartbreaking.”
Mr Coughlan said the business went into voluntary liquidation in order to make sure they will still be able to pay suppliers and employees.
The bakery chain, which also has stores in south London, Kent and Surrey, first opened in 1937.
In December 2024, it opened its first Sussex store in Crawley after Romesh Ranganathan convinced bosses to open in his home town.
The Blackbridge Lane store, in Horsham, opened in August last year and was followed by a second store in the town at Piries Place.
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