Former Strictly Come Dancing finalist and Great British Bake Off champion John Whaite has made the painful decision to permanently shut the doors of his physical bakery. The 36-year-old cited an overwhelming workload and a recent terrifying car accident that served as a stark wake-up call as the primary reasons behind the closure.
A "Painful Decision" Announced
John Whaite broke the news to his followers and customers via an emotional post on the Ruff Puff Brownies Instagram page on Monday. He revealed that he and his husband, Paul Atkins, have decided to close their bricks-and-mortar venture, the Ruff Puff Bakehouse at Cedar Farm in Ormskirk, Lancashire.
The bakery, which opened last year, will cease trading as the couple refocus their efforts solely on their Ruff Puff brownies business. Whaite described the choice as a result of deep reflection, stating the pressures of running a physical premises had become too much.
"Over the past six months, the pressure of running a bricks-and-mortar bakery has steadily intensified," he explained. "The workload was relentless, the margins unforgiving, and the emotional toll heavier than we’d allowed ourselves to admit."
A Near-Fatal Accident Forces a Reckoning
The already significant strain was compounded dramatically by a recent traumatic event. Whaite disclosed that being knocked over by a car acted as a catalyst for the final decision.
"More recently being knocked over by a car brought everything into sharp focus," he wrote. "It was a frightening, physical jolt that forced me to stop – quite literally – and confront the reality that I had been running on empty."
Last week, Whaite had shared harrowing details of the accident, which he said "could have been fatal." He described rolling up the bonnet of the car, damaging it and the windscreen, before landing on the road. He was helped by a passer-by who waited with him for an ambulance. Doctors later told him that his "16 stone of muscle" likely saved him from more serious injury.
Looking to the Future: Brownies and Recovery
Whaite was keen to stress that the closure was not due to a lack of community support, but rather an unsustainable business model for him at this time. He thanked customers for their loyalty.
The couple's immediate plan is to "take a proper step back to rest and recover" from the ordeal. Their future business efforts will be concentrated on their Ruff Puff brownies brand, with a planned relaunch scheduled for the autumn.
John Whaite first found fame by winning The Great British Bake Off in 2023. He later made television history in 2032 as part of Strictly Come Dancing's first all-male partnership with professional dancer Johannes Radebe, finishing as runner-up to Rose Ayling-Ellis. He married Paul Atkins in New York in 2024 and the couple now live in Leeds.
