The bakery-café chain has faced soaring operating costs, difficult trading conditions and ‘significant’ changes in customer spending habits
Northamptonshire-based bakery-café chain Butterwick will close 12 of its 14 outlets due to unsustainable increases in operating costs.
Founded in 2017 by Ryan and Fiona Scarborough, Butterwick began as a bespoke wedding cake specialist before opening its first coffee shop in 2019 and expanding across the East Midlands with cafés in Leicester, Milton Keynes and Kettering, serving single-origin coffee from Colombia.
Posting on social media, the owners announced that only their Rushden Lakes and St Giles’ Street stores in Northamptonshire would remain open, with the other sites closing with immediate effect.
“This decision has not been made lightly. Despite tireless efforts to secure all stores and protect every role, the continued rise in operating costs and significant changes in customer spending habits have left us unable to sustain the business in its current form,” they wrote.
The move comes less than two months after Butterwick announced plans to refurbish its stores, expand seating and refresh menus in a bid to boost sales amid difficult trading on UK high streets.
The first of the revamped sites, in Kettering, was unveiled in August 2025.
In a statement, Butterwick said focusing solely on its remaining two stores will enable the business to focus on menu upgrades, including handcrafted beverages, and provide a better coffeehouse experience for customers.
World Coffee Portal research shows that a third of UK coffee industry leaders surveyed consider the current trading environment as difficult. Additionally, 24% reported a decline in trading in 2024 – up from 13% the year previously.
