The much-loved celebrity became a co-owner and shareholder in the bakery business and, after news of the closure came to light, he simply said 'gutted isn't the word'03:58, 01 Jul 2026Updated 03:58, 01 Jul 2026A bakery chain backed by comedian Romesh Ranganathan has run out of dough, with owners of high street bakery chain Coughlans Bakery confirming it had gone into liquidation after nearly a century in business.‌Ranganathan, 47, is a proud vegan and has invested in the popular British bakery, Coughlans, in 2024. It was then he became the first non-family member to join the bakery's board in its almost 100 years of trading.‌The comic became a Coughlans co-owner and shareholder, which operated at over 30 locations across South London, Surrey, Kent, and West Sussex.‌The family-operated bakery boasted an impressive plant-based range that featured classic baked treats including doughnuts, cinnamon buns, artisan bread, wild mushroom sausage rolls and plenty more.But, despite being its celebrity backing and its status as a southern High Street stalwart, it seems the bakery has not been exempt from rising financial pressures, with the 31-location chain struggling in recent months.‌The high street bakery chain has closed effective immediately, it has been confirmed, with bakery bosses placing blame rising fuel costs, wage pressures, and national insurance changes.Owner Sean Coughlan has since described the decision to shut up shop as “devastating”, confirming the sad update in a social media video shared on Tuesday (June 30). In the clip, he revealed the bakery business was facing additional costs of around £20,000 per week due to these pressures.Content cannot be displayed without consent‌He said: “This has affected us more than we could have ever imagined 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 new government rules on NI, wages and rates hit, it instantly hit the high street.”And, despite earlier expansion and strong trading periods, he said the sudden cost increases had made the model unsustainable. He said the family-run business, which had traded for almost a century, was being forced to shut despite periods of recent growth.The recent heatwaves across the waves in the UK were the final nail in the coffin, Coughlan said.‌He added that his team had made the bakery a “fun environment” and that included the “newest family member Romesh”."I feel like we've absolutely let him down," Coughlan said, before he addressed the 47-year-old comic directly: "Rom, thank-you so much. Everything he's done [with us at the bakery] has come from the heart. He's devastated."Article continues belowHe thanked staff and customers for their loyalty over the years, describing the closure as deeply emotional for the entire team. The bakery reportedly ceased trading immediately following the announcement on 30 June.Ranganathan, meanwhile, issued a simple statement online. He took to social media to reshare the sad update from his business partner, alongside an emoji crying a single tear and a caption that read: "Gutted isn't the word."