Almost 300 jobs lost as burger chain enters administration

Hundreds of jobs are set to be lost after administrators were appointed to the Handmade Burger Co today.

It is the second time the chain of restaurants has fallen into administration in two years.

David Griffiths, Conrad Beighton and Paul Masters of Leonard Curtis Business Rescue & Recovery were appointed joint administrators of The Burger Chain Limited earlier today (23 January).

All 18 restaurants have today closed with the loss of 283 jobs.

The restaurants closing are: Aberdeen, Edinburgh Ocean Terminal, Glasgow Braehead, Glasgow St Vincent Street, Birmingham Brindleyplace, Birmingham Bullring, Leicester Highcross, Lincoln Brayford Wharf, Peterborough, Solihull Touchwood, Gateshead Metrocentre, Hull, Leeds Trinity, Sheffield Meadowhall, Bath, Bournemouth, Reading, Southampton West Quay and Wembley.

Griffiths said: “The casual dining market in the UK has experienced significant challenges over the last four years, largely as a result of overcapacity in the sector, which has resulted in a significant number of insolvencies.

“Sales at Handmade Burger Co. restaurants have almost halved during this period, which has proved to be unsustainable. It is disappointing that circumstances have meant that a sale of the business has not been possible in this case, but our focus now should be on those employees affected by this difficult news. We will work hard to provide them with all necessary assistance to claim for monies which remain due to them.”