The chocolatier swung into the red during the 52 weeks to June 28, announcing a statutory pre-tax loss of £6.5m, compared with a £10.9m profit the previous year.

Stripping out the impact of exceptional costs, Hotel Chocolat’s pre-tax profit tumbled 83% to £2.4m, while underlying EBITDA fell 54% to £9.4m.

The retailer’s revenues rose 3% during the year to £136.3m, but dropped 14% during the second half of the year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and the 12-week closure of its physical stores – impacting the crucial Easter period.