Valentina Fine Foods bought out of administration with closure of half its sites

Insolvency firm Begbies Traynor appointed joint administrators to the Italian delicatessen and restaurant group on 17 October.

But company was immediately purchased by rival deli Gazzano and Son, which has a site in Clerkenwell.

Valentina is left with three London sites in Battersea, Putney and East Sheen, as well as one in Weybridge.

Its sites in Notting Hill, Chiswick, Tower Bridge and Reigate have all closed.

The Italian Zoccola family founded Valentina in 1991 as a ‘one stop shop’ for Italian produce in London, and it grew to eight sites in the capital and Surrey.

Begbies Traynor told BigHospitality​ in a statement: “Gary Shankland and Louise Baxter of Begbies Traynor were appointed as joint administrators of Valentina Fine Foods & Wine Limited on 17 October 2017.

“Immediately after their appointment, a sale of the business and assets of the company was completed to Gazzano and Son.

“All employees of the company transferred to the purchaser upon sale and four of the eight shops operated by the company are continuing to trade under the new ownership.”