A SOUTHAMPTON burger restaurant and more than 30 jobs have been saved after the chain went bust.

Handmade Burger Company, in the foodhall at Westquay shopping centre, has been sold on by administrators.

Southampton was among 20 outlets rescued in the deal announced yesterday by Leonard Curtis Business Rescue and Recovery. In all 530 jobs have been saved.

However, 160 jobs had already been lost with the closure of nine restaurants, two each in Glasgow and Newcastle as well as others in Birmingham, Leeds, Gateshead, Nottingham and Wakefield.

The firm was founded in Birmingham in 2005 by the Sargent family who only last year were reported in the industry press to have plans to open another 15 outlets over the next three years.

At the end of 2016 the company appointed former Frankie and Benny’s managing director Kevin Bacon as a non-executive director. It is understood he has since stood down.

First signs that the company was in trouble came earlier this month when some of its restaurants closed suddenly and its website and other social media went off line.

Administrators tried, without success, to set up a CVA (company voluntary arrangement) to allow Handmade to repay its creditors over a fixed period but on Wednesday it was announced that a buyer had been found for the restaurants which had remained open.

Joint administrator Julien Irving said: “Since our appointment on July 6 we have worked hard to secure the most favourable outcome for all creditors.

“We have since managed to secure a buyer for the business and are delighted that this positive outcome has been achieved.”

Staff at the Southampton restaurant, which opened in October 2014, were unable to comment on the news.