Noooooooo! Not Patisserie Valerie!

[tectonicplates]

"Patisserie Valerie on brink of collapse" - www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-45824285]

According to the article they also own Baker & Spice and the Flour Power bakery, neither of which I realised before.

I think they are a fun treat but not very good value for money. We probably only average going once a year as each time I end up disappointed at having paid a fortune for something not very different from who could be got at an upmarket supermarket for half the price. It then takes me about a year to start feeling "it's been ages..."

The value of any product is the price the market will bear. If they are on the brink of collapse that proves they are overpriced.

I used to go to the original in Soho, which was fab. This PV chain doesn't bear any relation to that original at all.

Ah, I didn’t realise the business had changed hands, I assumed the downturn in quality was due to over-rapid expansion.

I’m not surprised!

The cakes always look good but they never taste it in the experiences I’ve had.

Coffee also isn’t that great

I think if you selling at the prices they do your cakes need to be great

I've never been to one! Just not on my radar for some reason.

I'm not surprised. I adore a cake and especially a cream tea but their offerings are overpriced and bland. I'd much prefer to go to somewhere like Caffe Concerto.

I asked for a toasted ham sandwich without the tomato for dd (fussy), and they said they couldn't do that because all their sandwiches were pre-made and trucked in, not made on the premises. Seriously? You can't open the bread, take the tomato out and then pop the bread back on top?!?!?

Their outlet near me is shit. I went once and never again. Good delicious food places will stay afloat. Given the level of crappy service and forgettable cakes, I am not suprised they are in trouble.

Never heard of them!

Sorry I mean pleased in the sense that this should give them a kick up the backside, of course I feel bad for the staff. I suspect someone will go in and take on the brand and close the underperforming stores / renegotiate rents etc.

Maybe the person who takes them on will pay a bit more attention to the detail, agree with the comments about the original shops - they used to be so special and delicious. There's definitely a market for Patisserie Valerie, but if you're charging premium prices, people want to feel they're getting a premium product, and that just hasn't been the case for a long while.

Nor have I - though it doesn't sound as though I've missed much.

patisserie valerie is really shit. I used to go to Amato which was based off their original Soho shop, and proper gorgeous gateux soaked in booze.

But patisserie valerie is just junk from a factory. go bust ASAP

patisserie valerie is really shit. I used to go to Amato which was based off their original Soho shop, and proper gorgeous gateux soaked in booze.

But patisserie valerie is just junk from a factory and can go bust ASAP

I’m sorry because whether or not you enjoy their cakes the shop front always looks nice on the high street.

The original one was lovely. Crowded , but with lovely staff who had been there for years and years. Then they opened the second one, and I see from here that they have expanded hugely. Seems strange for what was such a unique little place.

Used to love Patisserie Valerie, so was excited to get one in our new shopping centre. Went once, realised (over three different types we bought to take home) that the cakes all looked fab but didn't taste of much ... and never went again.

Expanded beyond their abilities, I fear and too much competition out there now.

I'm not surprised. 20 years ago I loved the one near me, but about (?)10 years ago they started putting them everywhere, and at the same time the quality of the cakes deteriorated.

I recently bought some macaroons there as a gift, and was embarrassed when the recipient opened them to share. They were just sweet and bland and slightly stale. Literally no distinction between the "flavours".

I've been boycotting them as they put money towards the leave campaign for Brexit. To be honest I hardly ever went there anyway. I also avoid buying Tate and Lyle sugar for the same reason.

I have all sympathy as the PV founder is a massive Leaver. Just desserts, buddy.

Oh I hope they don't go the one near us is lovely,the meals are usually large and really well made and very well priced as well and we've bought lots of birthday cakes from there and the afternoon tea we had was lovely.

Huh, TIL they also own Philpotts

The reason they are in trouble is because they owe £1.4m to HMRC. It's alleged that the Finance Director has stolen millions from the Company.

It went downhill pretty fast. Going to one of their shops in London used to be such a treat and everything was beautifully made and presented. Now we have a PV in a local Debenhams, and weirdly, in a service station near us, so the brand no longer feels luxury or exciting.

Same sort of thing happened to Thornton’s. Their chocolate went downhill and you could buy crappy versions of it in the supermarket.

They've just opened up a place in a Debenhams branch in Dublin too...maybe it's on a franchise basis so it might survive?

I'm. It suprised you need a mortgage to eat a cake in there.