Raymond Blanc's Brasserie Bar Co to grow to 40 sites

Raymond Blanc's high street restaurant group Brasserie Bar Co has raised £20m of investment and plans to grow to 40 sites in the next five years.

The group, which includes the Brasserie Blanc restaurant chain and the White Brasserie Company of pubs, has secured the cash injection from investor Core Capital.

Chief executive Mark Derry (pictured) said the investment will allow the group to expand more rapidly. "We believe that this market is robust and offers good growth opportunities," he said.

"While by no means immune to difficulties in the wider economy, operators in the premium casual dining sector who are able to offer quality of service and product continue to perform well. This, combined with the trend for eating out which has become an established part of day-to-day life in the UK, means we are well positioned to roll out the business."

Brasserie Blanc, which currently has nine restaurants across the UK, will target selected provincial cities and towns as well as London for its expansion, while the White Brasserie Company, which has two pubs in Weybridge and Teddington, will focus on London and the South East.

Brasserie Bar Co is headed up by Derry and managing director John Lederer and recently appointed former Loch Fyne chief financial officer Helen Melvin as finance director.

Brasserie Blanc targets pubs for expansion >>

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Raymond Blanc to open first Brasserie Blanc in London >>

By Kerstin Kühn

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