Until yesterday, anyone hankering for a cheeky bacon sandwich/yum yum in Croydon and its surrounds may well have swerved the ubiquitous outposts of Greggs, in favour of local bakery Coughlans.
Established by Jack Coughlan on Croydon's Mayday Road in 1937, the bakery became a firm favourite with south London locals over the years — testified by its expansion to a number of stores in Croydon borough, as well as other parts of south London, West Sussex, Surrey and Kent. In 2024, the Crawley-born comedian Romesh Ranganathan became a co-owner, sometimes even serving behind the counte (we can personally testify that the Ranga Yum Yums made in his honour were delish).
But on Tuesday 30 June, Coughlans suddenly announced it was closing all its bakeries with immediate effect, going into voluntary liquidation.
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"It's with the heaviest of hearts that I'm bringing you the news that sadly we at Coughlans Bakery are closing our doors today for the last time," announced managing director Sean Coughlan, blaming a perfect storm of fuel prices from Trump's Iran war, new National Insurance charges and generally higher rates — with the recent heatwave acting as the final nail in the coffin. "Please please please remember to shop local," said Sean Coughlan, "our high streets need your love."
The news has been met with an outpouring of love, sadness and frustration from customers, including East Croydon Cool, who commented "Shocked and saddened. If a business like Coughlans can't make it work, how's anyone else supposed to?"
These are desperate times for small businesses who, in a kinder economic climate, would be doing very well. Recently we reported that Queer Brewing is set to shut up shop at the end of July.
