Butchers chain Crawshaw collapses and hundreds lose their jobs

Hundreds of jobs were axed as butchers chain Crawshaw Group collapsed, leaving landlords with scores of empty shops.

The AIM-listed 64-year-old firm has appointed Ernst & Young as administrator and 354 staff have been made redundant with 35 store closures.

A further 19 sites are still open, and Ernst & Young’s team will look to sell the remainder of the business.

The update comes less than a week after the retailer warned it had failed to raise emergency funds to stay afloat. It has struggled with weaker High Street footfall.

The failure will come as a blow to “Chicken King”, Ranjit Boparan, who last year took a 29.9% stake in the Yorkshire-headquartered chain in a deal that also saw his 2 Sisters Food Group supply the company.

Melanie Leech, boss of the British Property Federation, pointed out that “property owners will also be hit”.

Landlords have seen scores of retailers close sites this year because of restructures or collapses.