Department of Coffee and Social Affairs enters liquidation
Carl Jackson and Paul Zalkin of Quantuma have been appointed liquidators at CCL 002, the company previously known as Coffeesmiths Collective and the Department of Coffee and Social Affairs.
The liquidation affects around 20 units operating under the flagship Department of Coffee and Social Affairs brand, including internal sites with JLL and Facebook, as well as Daily Goods Coffee in Camberwell and TimberYard in Seven Dials.
It also includes Filmore & Union, the North East-based healthy eating café group that Coffeesmiths acquired in a pre-pack.
The development brings an abrupt end to an aggressive expansion streak which saw the coffee shop group acquire scores of rivals across the UK in group deals and pre-pack administrations.
In March 2019 the company bought four Baker & Spice sites in London from Patisserie Holdings and later in the year it acquired the brand, roastery and customer base of the London-based coffee business Taylor Street Baristas.
Other acquisitions have included Tap Coffee, Bea’s of London, Cafe2U mobile coffee business, Small Batch, Nordic Bakery and Urban Tea Rooms, as well a string of single-site independent coffee shops.
Other parts of the business, including the Brighton-based Small Batch Coffee, are understood to be safe, with Coffeesmiths reported as no longer having significant control.
