27 Giraffe and Ed's Easy Diner locations to close

Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG), the owner of Giraffe and Ed's Easy Diner, on Monday confirmed that it will close 27 restaurants, putting hundreds of jobs at risk.

The company's brands will enter a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) if passed by a creditor vote that will be overseen by advisers from KPMG, with BRG's chief executive Tom Crowley referring to a CVA as "the only option to protect the company".

The vote on the proposed CVA will take place on 21 March with at least 75% approval required for it to proceed.

"The combination of increasing costs and over-supply of restaurants in the sector and a softening of consumer demand have all contributed to the challenges both these brands face," said Crowley.

Similar factors have recently led to the closure of branches of several restaurant brands including Prezzo, Jamie's Italian, Byron, Carluccio's, Gaucho and Gourmet Burger Kitchen.

BRG owns 70 branches of the Giraffe and Ed's Easy Diner brands, with a further 17 franchised outlets remaining unaffected by the CVA, along with owned brands such as Harry Ramsden and Cinnamon Collection.

BRG is owned by Ranjit Singh Boparan, who is known as the 'Chicken King' and has amassed an estimated personal fortune of £544m through businesses including 2 Sisters Food Group, which supplies chicken to major UK supermarkets and owns brands such as Fox's Biscuits, Goodfella's Pizza, Holland's Pies, Matthew Walker Christmas Puddings, Donegal Catch and Green Isle.