Comedian Romesh Ranganathan said he is “gutted” after the 89-year-old bakery chain he part-owns shut down.

Coughlans Bakery – which operates a chain of shops across Kent, Surrey, West Sussex and south London – announced it had ceased trading on Tuesday after it went into voluntary liquidation.

Ranganathan, best known for his deadpan stage style, became its co-owner in 2024, describing it as “the partnership of the century”.

Managing director Sean Coughlan blamed the closure on the government’s decision to increase national insurance contributions for employers in April last year, along with high business rates.

Posting on social media, he described the rates as having “absolutely smashed local business”.

He added that, combined with the spike in fuel prices following the conflict in the Middle East, they had cost the company an extra £20,000 a week.

Coughlan said Crawley-born stand-up Ranganathan, who is vegan and initially became a supporter of the business because of its range of plant-based products, had been “amazing”.

“I feel like we’ve absolutely let him down. Everything he’s done, it’s been from the heart,” he added.

Ranganathan reposted Coughlan’s video to his 1.4m followers online, with the caption: “Gutted isn’t the word.”

Coughlan also said that the recent heatwaves, which saw the south east of England swelter in temperatures as high as 35C, had been the “nail in the coffin” for the firm.

He added that “no-one really seemed to come out” during the hot weather, leaving the business to make “about 50% of what we would normally take in a week”, while all the outgoings remained “exactly the same”.

“It’s heartbreaking,” he added.

Coughlan said that the bakery went into voluntary liquidation in order to make sure it will still be able to pay suppliers and employees.

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, external, X, external, and on Instagram, external and listen to BBC Radio Sussex on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.