No more just desserts as café closes after less than three months

A specialist dessert café and coffee shop has closed less than three months after it opened for business in one of Brighton’s busiest shopping streets.

The Urban Chocolatier branch – part of a chain which has several branches in London and one in Cardiff Bay – opened in Western Road, Brighton, at the end of August.

It took over the grade II listed former bank building on a lease after the closure of Mikel Coffee in February.

But now the landlord, Moretons Investments, owned by the Blencowe family, has taken possession of the premises, posting a notice dated Tuesday 26 November.

The notice, addressed to the leaseholder, Ackerman Investments, said: “The landlord has today re-entered 79-80 Western Road, Brighton, BN1 2HA, in accordance with the landlord’s power under clause 39 of the lease.

“As a consequence of the re-entry, the lease is forfeited and these premises have been secured.

“No one can lawfully enter the premises unless they have been given authorisation by the landlord.

“Any attempt to enter the premises without the landlord’s authority may be a criminal offence and result in a prosecution.”

The previous occupant, Mikel Coffee, a Greek chain with no other British branches outside London, opened in November 2020, and closed nine months ago.

The building, with an ornate Bath stone frontage, opened in 1905 and was for many years known as the Midland Bank building.

The branch was rebranded as an HSBC bank about 25 years ago, closing for good in 2016.

The building, which is opposite Mitre House, was vacant until Mikel Coffee took on the lease.

The Urban Chocolatier franchisee, Eastbourne-registered Ackerman Investments, is owned and run by 43-year-old director Christopher Kelly.