UK bakery chain crashes into liquidation - family business since 2018
A popular UK bakery brand known for its indulgent brownies has collapsed into liquidation, bringing to an end a family-run venture launched in 2018. The popular "best ever" brownie closed its doors in January after seven years in business. The Best Ever Brownie Company, run by husband and wife Solance and Craig Poole and located near Calne in Wiltshire, closed its doors in January.The owners said the closure was driven by rising costs and the wider economic climate, which they stated made it impossible to continue trading sustainably, alongside the worsening health of one of the founders over the past year. Liquidators were appointed to The Best Ever Brownie Company and The Barn Cafe on Thursday, April 16, and the companies' websites have also been deleted.During the pandemic, deliveries took off with 100 boxes of brownies sold to fans every day.Following this success, the couple opened a store at Swindon Designer Outlet in January 2022 and became the only independent business at the centre. The company also traded at The Barn Café in Foxham and ran a café at Coate Water Country Park.However, on January 1, the Pooles took to social media to announce that The Best Ever Brownie Company and Barn Café would be closing with immediate effect.Both businesses are listed as being permanently closed on Google.In a heartfelt statement shared online on January 1, the Pooles confirmed the immediate closure of both the bakery and café: "As we begin a new year, this isn’t the news we ever hoped to share. It is with very heavy hearts that we share the news that The Best Ever Brownie Company and the Barn Café will be closing from today."This decision has not been made lightly. Over the past year, rising costs and the wider economic climate have made it impossible for us to continue in a sustainable way. Alongside this, the health of one of our founders has worsened over the last year, and we’ve had to prioritise wellbeing and family at this time."We are incredibly proud of our wonderful team, whose hard work, warmth and care have been at the heart of everything we’ve done. They helped create the atmosphere and delicious brownies that so many of you loved, and we are deeply grateful to each and every one of them."We know this will come as a shock, and we want to thank every customer who supported us, visited us, shared kind words, and made our little business feel so special. Your loyalty and kindness have meant the world to us. Thank you for being part of our story."
