Another Unannounced Closure of Maison Blanc

Turnham Green Terrace patisserie shuts again without notice

Maison Blanc, the café and patisserie on Turnham Green Terrace, has closed again with no indication of any plans to reopen.

The simultaneous closure of branches elsewhere in the country has led to some speculation that this time it may have departed permanently. It closed for a period late last year but reopened shortly afterwards.

At that time were concerns that the strategic review which has recently been commissioned by the owners had led to a decision to shut the Chiswick branch. The chain’s operations are loss-making according to the latest set of published accounts.

The chain's outlets in Henley and Chichester also closed this week. A notice was posted in the Henley store from the staff thanking customers and confirming the closure was permanent.

The Evening Standard reported in September of last that property agent Davis Coffer Lyons had been hired to carry out a location by location strategic review of the chain’s 13 stores and production facility. There were reports in the financial press this January that Patisserie Valerie were making a bid for the stores.

They have six outlets in London including the Chiswick branch as well as a number of others dotted around the home counties and a manufacturing base in Park Royal.

An earlier statement from Maison Blanc said, “Maison Blanc has announced the appointment of Davis Coffer Lyons as specialist advisors as part of a strategic review into its current trading locations, this also includes the Maison Blanc production facility at Park Royal in London.”

The original Oxford café was set up by celebrity chef Raymond Blanc in 1980. Raymond Blanc is no longer involved with the business with the firm now being owned by a unit of the Kuwait-based Kout Food Group.

We were unable to contact Maison Blanc to confirm what is happening with the Chiswick store and staff were unable to confirm what the company's plans are for the local branch. Their web site has been taken down. We have contacted Kout Foods for comment.

March 11, 2017