Handmade Burger Co in administration again with all 18 sites closed

Handmade Burger Co. has gone into administration for a second time, with all 18 restaurants closing.

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

Sales at Handmade Burger Co. restaurants have almost halved over the last four years, the administrators said, which has proved to be unsustainable.

Griffiths said: “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.”

The closures leaves 283 staff without a job.

Handmade Burger Co was first placed into administration in July 2017, with nine of its 29 restaurants closing at the time.

The business was acquired out of administration the next month for less than £1.5m, after an unsuccessful attempt to carry out CVA was made.

An undisclosed buyer was found for the remaining 20 sites, now known to be The Burger Chain Limited, which is controlled by Wahab Hussain.

The company was founded in Birmingham’s Brindleyplace in 2006 by the Sargeant family.

Co-founder Richard Seargent later said it was “the most difficult period of my life - having something you loved and created taken from you is heartbreaking.”