Around 80 jobs lost at Filmore and Union as it closes eight sites

Eight sites, including cafes in York city centre, Harrogate, Skipton, Moortown and its head office in Wetherby, have been closed down.

Phil Pierce and Paul Whitwam, partners at specialist business advisory firm FRP Advisory LLP, were appointed joint administrators on Friday after the business suffered cash flow pressures following a period of tough trading.

The joint administrators secured a partial sale of the business and assets to Coffeesmiths Collective Ltd, the owner of a number of speciality coffee companies, which has acquired 10 of the Filmore and Union trading sites and its production kitchen in Wetherby.

The company employed around 230 people with 150 of those jobs being saved as a result of the pre-pack deal.

Mr Pierce said: “Filmore and Union is a well-known and popular independent chain with a strong reputation across the North of England.

“We are pleased to have been able to secure a deal which crucially protects a large number of jobs in the local area and will help to maximise returns for creditors.

“We wish the team at Coffeesmiths Collective all the best as they continue to expand their business.

“Unfortunately, it has not been possible to secure the sale of all sites, and we are working with the Redundancy Payments Service to provide support for all employees affected at this difficult time.”

Former staff at the Skipton branch have been left angered by the situation and what they say is a lack of communication.

Jamie Crabtree, who was a general manager at the Skipton cafe, said there were around 14 staff at the site.

“They came in on Friday and basically said we had to shut up the business,” he told The Yorkshire Post. “They took the keys, locked the place up and we were all sent on our way with no information.”

Mr Crabtree also sent out a plea to local employers to try and get former members of his team back into work.

The firm also ran concessions with John Lewis in York, Nottingham and Newcastle, all of which have been purchased by Coffeesmiths.

Filmore and Union was established in 2012 by Adele Ashley with the aim of serving fresh and seasonal food.

In September 2017, Filmore and Union was given a £3.5m investment from the Business Growth Fund (BGF) to open new sites.

At the time, Ms Ashley said: “We have built a loyal customer base who feel an affinity to the brand and share our passion for eating well.

“We have built the business in Yorkshire and the North East and are excited to expand the brand across the North of England.”

Filmore and Union sites purchased by Coffeesmiths Collective Limited

Beverley

Ilkley

Newcastle (John Lewis)

Nottingham (John Lewis)

York (John Lewis)

Redbrick Mill

Wetherby

York Train Station (platform 3 and platform 8)

Newcastle Train Station

Production Kitchen (Wetherby)

Closed sites

York city centre

Harrogate

Skipton

Moortown

Harrogate Deli

Wetherby Deli

Jesmond

Head Office (Wetherby)