Does anyone remember the original Patisserie Valerie on Old Compton Street in Soho? I occasionally went there for coffee or to buy some cakes to take away.
It was sold by descendants of the founders in 1987 and grew to be 9 shops when the business was sold in 2006. By the time the company failed in 2019 it had grown to 192 shops.
The then CEO, his wife (an accountant) and 2 other financiers have been charged with fraud by the SFO. They will appear in court next month. t has taken nearly 5 years to get to this stage and it is to be hoped that future investigations can be dealt with more quickly.
Anyway, it's good news that the destroyers of a once loved cake shop are being brought to book.
The business still continues following a management buyout in 2019 and apparently you buy some of their cakes in Sainsburys!
🦞 The Lockdown Gang still chatting 🦞
