Jeremy King OBE, co-founder and CEO of Corbin & King, has posted a video online in which he explains the nature of the restaurant group's recent administration. The video comes following multiple reports in the mainstream media of the business being in crisis.
Dillip Rajakarier, the chief executive of Thai hospitality group Minor International (which holds a 74% stake), has claimed that the business is “insolvent”. The main point King makes in his video is that the administration is a technical one, brought about by Minor International in an attempt to seize control of the company. Minor International, according to King, has not invested a single pound in the company since buying into it.
He goes on to say that all Corbin & King restaurants are fully solvent and trading well, and all staff and suppliers are being fully paid - ‘business as usual’. He also goes on to reassure guests that all bookings are being processed as normal and that diners and event organisers can consider their reservations secure.
King finishes the video by announcing he plans to buy the holding company out of administration, pay back what is owed and get back to doing what Corbin & King do best.
This is the second time he has addressed his clientele in a video, the first being during the pandemic to ask for support when restaurants were closed. The group have previously spoken about the overwhelming support from customers. In this video, King says it is his turn to reassure the customers that everything is going to be okay.
The Corbin & King group consists of The Wolseley, The Delaunay (and The Delaunay Counter), Brasserie Zédel, Colbert, Fischer’s, Café Wolseley, Soutine and Bellanger. Previously, King became the youngest ever manager at Searcy’s at age 21 and, in 2014, was awarded an OBE for his services to the hospitality industry and the arts. King has been working with business partner and co-founder Chris Corbin for nearly 40 years.
Notable figures in the hospitality industry have been quick to offer messages of support to the Corbin & King group. Ruthie Rogers, chef and owner of London’s iconic River Café, described her ‘years and years of a close friendship’ on Instagram, adding that the business owner was ‘generous with his time, thoughtful in his response' and 'precise in his direction’. She finished by saying: ‘he has always been by our side, and all of us in the River Cafe, are, and always will be, by his.’
You can watch the full video on the Corbin & King YouTube account.