Filmore & Union bought out of administration with 80 job losses
The company, founded in 2013 by Adele Carnell and her nephew Will Pugh, operated 17 locations in the North of England and employed around 230 people.
Administrators from FRP Advisory LLP were appointed on Friday (24 May), with the business blaming “severe cash flow pressures” and “challenging trading”.
Ten of the group’s sites and its production kitchen in Wetherby have been sold to Coffeesmiths Collective Ltd, the owner of businesses including The Department of Coffee and Social Affairs, saving 150 jobs.
The remaining seven cafes and its head office have closed with around 80 job losses.
“We are pleased to have been able to secure a deal which crucially protects a large number of jobs in the local area and will help to maximise returns for creditors,” says Phil Pierce, partner at FRP Advisory LLP.
“Unfortunately, it has not been possible to secure the sale of all sites, and we are working with the Redundancy Payments Service to provide support for all employees affected at this difficult time.”
Filmore & Union crowdfunded almost £1m towards its expansion in 2015 and secured a £3.5m investment from the Business Growth Fund (BGF) in 2017.
In February Coffeesmiths also bought the Baker & Spice cafe chain for £2.5m after its owner Patisserie Holdings entered administration.
