The Gentlemen Baristas calls in administrators

According to an update on Companies House, Farheen Qureshi of Parker Getty was appointed administrator on 5 January.

Restaurant ​has contacted Parker Getty for comment.

The Gentlemen Baristas was founded by Henry Ayers and Ed Parkes and opened its first site on Union Street in Borough in 2014.

It expanded across the capital and by the summer of 2022 had grown its estate to 11, which included a mix of bricks and mortar locations and collaborative outlets in office buildings.

However, the group has subsequently downsized and now has only four coffee houses in its portfolio including a flagship in Piccadilly.

It also has a roastery in Maryland Stratford, which launched last year.

Filings on Companies House show that Ayers and Parkes ceased to have full control of The Gentlemen Baristas as of April 2022, with Ali Mohammed Mousa acquiring a controlling stake in the business at that time.

However, the founders remain listed as directors.

Back in 2021​​, Parkes spoke of how he hoped the business would continue to exist for a century.

He said: “We’re not arrogant enough to say we’re a British institution but we want the brand to exist in 100 years, it’s where we want to be.”