Corbin & King
In April 2012, Graphite invested £19 million in Corbin & King, the company owned by Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, widely regarded as London’s most successful restaurateurs over the past 30 years. Corbin and King have previously been responsible for some of the capital’s most famous restaurants, including Le Caprice, The Ivy and J Sheekey, which they sold in 2003. Following the sale, they set up Corbin & King and introduced the highly popular all-day dining European Grand Café concept to London with The Wolseley. In December 2011, Corbin & King opened The Delaunay in Covent Garden.
Corbin and King had agreed leases on two further restaurants and a hotel, but required additional capital to finance their fit-outs. We believed the strength of the two original restaurants, the location of the new sites, the proven skills of the operators and their access to high quality opportunities would ensure the success of the business.
KEY BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENTS
Successfully opened four new restaurants: Brasserie Zédel, Colbert, Fischer’s and Bellanger
Achieved strong profit growth in the existing sites - The Wolseley and The Delaunay
Opened a 5-star boutique hotel, The Beaumont, in Mayfair
Increased restaurant turnover from £14 million to £45 million
225%
Increase in Turnover
BUSINESS EXIT
In 2017 Corbin & King was sold to Minor Hotels for £58.0 million. Minor Hotels is one of the largest hospitality and leisure groups in the Asia-Pacific region and is best known as the operator of Anantara Hotels.