Janes Bakery reopens 25 Coughlans shops after £9m asset transfer
Former staff can reapply as liquidators sell business but exclude Thornton Heath site
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Twenty-five former Coughlans bakery shops will reopen under new ownership after Janes Bakery acquired the majority of the collapsed business. The deal, announced by liquidators Paul Bailey and Kirren Keegan on 7 August 2026, excludes the Thornton Heath site, which was transferred to Smitham Lodge Estates Ltd before liquidation.
Coughlans, a family-run business established in 1937, closed all 31 shops on 1 July 2026. The company’s directors, Sean and Virginia Coughlan, and Jacqueline Taylor, had moved £9 million in assets to Smitham Lodge Estates Ltd since 2023, according to Companies House records.
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Staff notified by text message
The 175 employees were informed of their redundancy by text message when the shops closed. Janes Bakery has invited them to reapply for their jobs as the new owner reopens the sites. The liquidators did not confirm which six locations would remain closed.
Janes Bakery, based in Tuffley, Gloucestershire, operates 11 shops under the Janes Pantry name. It was acquired by Percy’s Baking (UK) Ltd in 2025. The company described the purchase as an opportunity to restore bakery services to communities previously served by Coughlans.
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Our job now is to move quickly but responsibly: reopen viable shops under the Janes name, welcome former Coughlan’s colleagues to reapply as we go, and bring the operating discipline of a heritage baker to a much-loved local bakery estate.
David Davies, chief executive of Janes Bakery
What happens next
Janes Bakery will begin reopening the 25 shops in the coming weeks. Former Coughlans staff can apply for their old jobs, though it is unclear how many will be rehired. The Thornton Heath site, now owned by Smitham Lodge Estates Ltd, remains closed and its future use is not publicly known.
Questions this report answers
+Which Coughlans shops will reopen under Janes Bakery?
Twenty-five of the 31 former Coughlans shops will reopen under the Janes Bakery name. The liquidators have not specified which six locations will remain closed. The deal excludes the Thornton Heath site, which was transferred before liquidation.
+What happened to the Thornton Heath bakery site?
The Thornton Heath site, valued at £9 million, was transferred to Smitham Lodge Estates Ltd before Coughlans entered liquidation. It is not part of the sale to Janes Bakery and remains closed. Its future use has not been announced.
+Can former Coughlans staff get their jobs back?
Janes Bakery has invited former Coughlans staff to reapply for their jobs as the shops reopen. The 175 employees were made redundant by text message when the business closed on 1 July 2026. It is unclear how many will be rehired.
+How much did Janes Bakery pay for Coughlans?
The liquidators, Paul Bailey and Kirren Keegan, did not disclose the purchase price for the Coughlans business. They confirmed the sale included 25 shops and certain assets but excluded the Thornton Heath site.
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