One of Britain’s most high-profile restaurateurs is stepping aside as the owner of one of London’s most well-known restaurants — The Wolseley.
Jeremy King is leaving Corbin & King (C&K), the company he cofounded, after Minor International won an auction for the firm, which is in administration.
Mr King sent a message explaining the change to regular customers at the chain’s restaurants, which include The Wolseley, The Delaunay and Colbert.
He said: “As you know, after our shareholder Minor Hotel Group appointed administrators over the Corbin & King 'TopCo', we were assisted by Knighthead of New York in taking on the debt that was at issue, with a view to fully acquiring the company.
“We left the appointed administrator in place in order to resolve our dispute with Minor by having a sales process to establish the new owners.
“The final stage of that process — an auction — took place in the early hours of today.
“We took part in the auction to try and buy the business and assets of Corbin & King that we didn't already own, including of course all the restaurants.
“Regrettably, that attempt failed and Minor Hotel Group was the successful bidder, buying the entire business.
“As a result, I no longer have any equity interest in the business although for the time being, I remain an employee. I assume Minor will take immediate control of the restaurants.” Mr King is not expected to stay.
The winning auction bid was reported to be £60 million ($78.8m).
The Wolseley, in Piccadilly and next to the Ritz Hotel, is famed for its menu and staff. Its customers include politicians and A-list stars.
The Wolseley, The Delaunay (and The Delaunay Counter), Brasserie Zédel, Colbert, Fischer’s, Café Wolseley, Soutine and Bellanger all came under the C&K label.
Dillip Rajakarier, group chief executive of Minor International, confirmed the changes.
“Given the global appeal of Corbin & King Limited's iconic portfolio of brands, it is no surprise that competition for the business was so strong.
“We are delighted that our offer was accepted, and we can now look forward to building on the existing strong foundations to drive growth in the UK and internationally.
“We have exciting growth plans for the business and are delighted to embark on this journey.”
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
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Liverpool 3
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Barcelona v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
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Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Korean Film Festival 2019 line-up
Innocent Witness, June 26 at 7pm
On Your Wedding Day, June 27 at 7pm
The Great Battle, June 27 at 9pm
The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion, June 28 at 4pm
Romang, June 28 at 6pm
Mal Mo E: The Secret Mission, June 28 at 8pm
Underdog, June 29 at 2pm
Nearby Sky, June 29 at 4pm
A Resistance, June 29 at 6pm
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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