Collapsed UK bakery chain is plotting to reopen 25 stores after shutting all its locations and axing 170 workers

A BRITISH bakery chain that went bust earlier this summer is now planning to reopen a number of locations. Coughlans Bakery looks set to return to UK high streets under a new name. Couhglans Bakery is set to welcome customers once again, after entering voluntary liquidation last month Credit: Gary Stone The bakery chain will operate under a new name after it was acquired by Janes Bakery Credit: Gary Stone Ceasing operations on July 1, the family-owned business closed all 31 locations and made 170 staff redundant. Coughlans has now been bought over by Gloucestershire-based Janes Bakery Limited for an undisclosed sum. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! Under the new deal, a large number of the bakery shops could soon reopen under a new name, just weeks after entering voluntary liquidation. It could mark a fresh era for the Coughlans chain, which began trading in 1937. Up to 25 of the former bakery sites are set to open once again, however, it is currently unclear which locations will remain permanently closed. Janes Bakery announced that former workers are encouraged to apply for a new role, after reportedly learning of their redundancies via text. “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 to reapply as we go, and bring the operating discipline of a heritage baker to a much-loved local bakery estate.” Most read in Fabulous Former owner Sean Coughlan cited rising fuel prices and changes to National Insurance contributions as the reasons behind the “devastating” decision. “This has affected us more than we could have ever imagined,” Coughlan said at the time. “Which is so devastating as March was a fantastic month, as was a lot of last year with our growth with new stores, but as soon as April’s new government rules on NI, wages and rates hit, it instantly hit the high street.” Comedian Romesh Ranganathan, who became a joint owner in December 2024, shared his disappointment at the closure announcement, saying: “Gutted isn’t the word” The sale was completed by liquidators Paul Bailey and Kirren Keegan of BABR. “Coughlans served communities across the South-East for almost 90 years, and its closure was a difficult outcome for the employees, customers and suppliers who supported the business over that time,” Bailey said. “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.” Comment now