A leading UK High Street fast food chain famous for its ‘natural’ menu has axed hundreds of jobs after collapsing into administration and closing 22 restaurants
Hundreds of jobs have been axed at a major High Street fast food chain after it collapsed into administration.
Leon – a British chain famous for its halloumi burgers and ‘natural fast food’ options – has cut 244 jobs after closing 22 restaurants since administrators were called in at the end of last year.
Co-founder John Vincent bought the business back from Asda in October for a sum believed to be between £30m and £50m – just four years after selling it to them for £100 million.
Which restaurants are closing?
- Tongham, Surrey
- Notting Hill Gate, London
- ASDA, Milton Keynes
- Westfield London, Shepherd’s Bush
- George Street, Richmond
- Chancery Lane, High Holborn, London
- Cheapside, London
- Brixton Road, London
- Brighton (North Street)
- Manchester Piccadilly
- Wimbledon Hill Road, London
Leon ‘drifted from core values’ says co-founder
An update from administrators Quantuma Advisory today revealed that the company now has 573 staff – around 40% down on this time last year.
Leon recorded losses of £12.5m in 2023, £8.3m in 2024, and £10m in 2025, according to draft figures.
Speaking last month, Mr Vincent said the business had drifted from its “core values” and suggested it had been ignored by its former owners.
He said: “In the last two years, Asda had bigger fish to fry, and Leon was always a business they didn’t feel fitted their strategy.
“If you look at the performance of Leon’s peers, you will see that everyone is facing challenges – companies are reporting significant losses due to working patterns and increasingly unsustainable taxes.”
An earlier statement from Leon upon entering administration said employees at closing restaurants would be handed redundancy pay if jobs could not be found elsewhere. A route would also be set up for affected employees to apply for jobs at Pret A Manger, they said.
Among those to shut include Notting Hill Gate in London, Brighton North Street, and Manchester Piccadilly.
A spokesperson for Leon said at the time: “In the first instance, we will look to find people roles in other Leon restaurants.
“Where that is not possible, for example if there is no Leon restaurant within commuting distance, people will receive redundancy payments.
Leon was founded in London in 2004 by John Vincent, Henry Dimbleby, and chef Allegra McEvedy. Their first outlet opened on Carnaby Street and was branded as “naturally fast food,” focusing on Mediterranean-inspired, seasonal ingredients. At the height of its success in 2022, Leon operated 85 restaurants in Britain and across the world.
