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A prominent UK chocolate manufacturer, which annually produced 300 tonnes from its London factory, has gone into administration.

Marasu's Petit Fours, acquired by the Prestat Group in 2006, has since supplied major brands such as Prestat, Fortnum and Mason, Selfridges and Harrods. The company was established in 1986 by patissiers Rolf Kern and Gabi Kohler, with the objective of creating premium chocolates.

The firm became London's largest producer of luxury chocolates, churning out over 300 tonnes annually from its 25,000 sq ft facilities in Park Royal. However, it has encountered challenging market conditions in recent months.

The chocolate industry has been grappling with global cocoa prices skyrocketing to record highs in 2024 due to cocoa crops being affected by disease and severe weather.

Administrators were appointed to Marasu's on February 6, with Alessandro Sidoli and Jessica Barker of Xeinadin Corporate Recovery Limited named as joint administrators.

This followed Prestat also entering administration. Prestat continues to operate as an online store. The luxury chocolatier, founded in 1902, closed its historic Piccadilly shop in central London in February.

In recent years, the chocolate industry has struggled with global cocoa prices surging to record highs in 2024 and cocoa crops being hit by disease and extreme weather, including flooding and droughts, in key producing countries such as Ghana and the Ivory Coast, which together account for about 60% of the world's production.

The closure is part of a prepack administration agreement that will result in Prestat being acquired by chocolate manufacturer L'Artisan du Chocolat, under the ownership of Polus Capital Management.

Prestat held two Royal Warrants and boasted the Royal Family, including Princess Diana, amongst its most renowned patrons. In 2003, The Economist magazine even ranked it as one of the top three chocolate shops globally.

The Piccadilly shop was a source of inspiration for Roald Dahl, who mentioned Prestat's truffles in his novel My Uncle Oswald.

The store, which was among the few to persist in producing its own chocolates, is also believed to have sparked the imaginative sweet shop in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.