Published on The Gazette, the Crown has announced that it is giving up any rights to a leasehold at the Oxford Westgate that once was the property of BrunchCo UK Limited, which ran Le Pain Quotidien.
In the statement published on September 24, The Treasury said it “hereby disclaims the Crown’s title” to Unit L30 at the shopping centre, doing so under Section 1013 of the Companies Act 2006.
READ MORE: Angry Boris Johnson, 62, slammed after making immigration claim
Potential rights to the unit passed to the government after BrunchCo was dissolved in 2024, with all but one of its sites having closed and 250 jobs reportedly lost in the process.
Le Pain Quotidien in Oxford Westgate closed (Image: Eirian Prosser / Newsquest)
Among the branches to shut was one at the Oxford Westgate with administrators revealing that the chain was hit hard by lower London footfall following the pandemic as well higher costs to run the business.
READ MORE: Honda supercar seized in major UK multi-agency roads operation
That came around three years after the cafe brand previously entered administration, with 11 sites shutting and 200 jobs lost as part of a rescue deal following the heavy toll of the initial Covid-19 pandemic.
Le Pain Quotidien was one of the 25 restaurants opened at the Oxford Westgate when it was built in 2017 but its premises has been closed since the company’s collapse in 2023.
Recent reports suggest that Gail’s Bakery will be taking on the site with a planning application having been submitted and advertisements for job having been published.
#government #update #jobs #lost #bakery #chain #collapse