Corbin & King looks to secure itself against investor

Corbin & King has taken steps to demonstrate its solvency as tensions with investor Minor Hotels appear to become heated.

The company, which operates nine standalone restaurants including the Wolseley, the Delaunay, Brasserie Zedel and Colbert, has made filings with the High Court to protect itself.

Thai-based Minor Hotels acquired a majority shareholding in Corbin & King in 2017, with a £58m investment. Minor hotels purchased most of its stake from private equity firm Graphite Capital, which had invested £21m in the company five years previously.

Speaking of the conflict, Jeremy King who, with business partner Chris Corbin, has created one of the UK's most successful restaurant companies, told the Sunday Times it was “a shame to have this distraction because the restaurants are performing so well”.

In November, King said a difference in opinion had arisen in relation to its highly anticipated Soho seafood restaurant Manzi’s, the development of which was temporarily stalled during the pandemic.

King said: “There was a differing view between us during the pandemic of the best way forward and what the outlook for London would be.”