Chef Blanc drinks to £13.5m debt deal

A dining chain backed by leading chef Raymond Blanc, which has a restaurant in Leeds, yesterday revealed that it had secured £13.5m of funding to expand its new pub-restaurant arm.

By The Newsroom

Published 17th Feb 2014, 00:00 BST

The Sunday Times reported that Brasserie Bar Co, which operates the 19 Brasserie Blanc restaurants, raised the debt from ESO Capital to add to its two White Brasserie pubs. The company hopes to open between 15 and 20 over the next three years.

The fundraising follows the purchase two years ago of the last Chez Gerard steakhouses, which have been converted into Brasserie Blanc restaurants.

In 2012, Mr Blanc visited Leeds to celebrate the fifth birthday of the city’s own Brasserie Blanc.

As part of the celebrations at the restaurant, based in Sovereign Street, in Leeds city centre, Mr Blanc joined French students from Leeds University to give local school pupils a taste of French culture.

Mr Blanc, whose son studied  at Leeds University, taught the children about life in France as well as a few French words and phrases.

Leeds The Sunday Times