80 jobs saved at Le Frog

AROUND 80 jobs have been saved at a North West French restaurant chain after bosses tabled a  management buyout.

Lancashire-based Le Frog was placed into administration in October after is parent company Wolfteam Limited, a subsidiary of the Grill Group, ran into financial trouble.

Administrators Begbies Traynor has sold four of the brand’s five remaining restaurants for an undisclosed sum to Paul Lilley the founder and former chief executive of Newcastle-based Grill Group.

Sites in Preston, Ormskirk, Wigan and St Helens will continue to operate but the Warrington restaurant has been closed.

Manchester-based Begbies Traynor were appointed to oversee the sale of the business that employed more than 100 staff across with agents Christie & Co instructed to assist in the disposal of the sites.

In September The Le Frog chain totalled 12 restaurants in the North West and Midlands operated by subsidiaries of the North East based Grill Group Ltd.  Seven Le Frog venues in the Midlands ceased trading in October, but the remaining restaurants, operated by Wolfteam Ltd remained trading.

Joint Administrator Andy Haslam commented: “The Le Frog brand was known and has a great following in the North West.  To have saved the brand, recovered funds for the creditors and keep the majority of the workforce in jobs is the best result for creditors and employees alike.”