Tesco offloads Giraffe restaurant chain to Harry Ramsden tycoon

Tesco has announced plans to sell casual dining chain Giraffe to Harry Ramsden-owner Boparan Restaurants as well as a separate sale of its Turkish business.

The supermarket, led by Dave Lewis, will hand off 12 Giraffe franchise sites and three in-store eateries to Boparan, which is led by entrepreneur Ranjit Boparan.

"As we stabilise the business in the UK, we continue to focus on where we can best serve the needs of our customers, while ensuring our business remains sustainable for the long-term,” Lewis said.

“Giraffe is a much loved brand, and while casual dining remains an important part of the shopping trip for many of our customers, we will continue to meet these needs through our Tesco Cafes and other providers”

Separately, it will sell its 95.5% controlling stake in Turkish subsidiary Kipa to Swiss-based retail company Migros for £30 million. The cash will be used to cut debt.

The company is currently undergoing a wave of disposals to streamline its business, and has plans to sell its interests in Dobbies Garden Centre .