Featured Image Credit: Byron
Topics: UK Food
Ben Williams
If you grew up a fan of proper burgers, chances are Byron has been part of your eating-out history.
The brand that once fuelled the UK’s early obsession with 'better burger' meals has been through just about every flavour of chaos over the last decade. A boom, a bust, a comeback, another bust, a pandemic, an immigration scandal, and a whole lot of smashed patties later, the chain has somehow insisted on staying in the fight.
It wasn’t long ago that Byron - launched in 2007 - commanded high streets across the country, serving up American-inspired burgers to shoppers, students and anyone craving something a bit posher than a drive-thru.
However, after years of rising costs, shrinking footfall and multiple ownership changes, the brand that once operated nearly 70 bustling restaurants found itself with only a handful left - that’s seven, to be precise.
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What’s more, for a while, it looked as though even those might not survive.
Nevertheless, the twist has arrived: the burger chain has now been rescued in a £2.5 million takeover by 21-year-old investor Akshat Tibrewala, founder of Niyamo Capital, marking Byron’s third major revival attempt in 10 years.
Tristar Foods, the previous owner, had planned to appoint administrators back in September before the deal was struck. Niyamo Capital has taken a majority stake, while Calveton UK, which backed the former owners, keeps a minority share.
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The takeover includes Byron’s sister brand Mother Clucker, the fried-chicken favourite that has made a name for itself on delivery apps.
Tibrewala has made it clear that he’s in it for reinvention as well as nostalgia.
According to The Times, he said: “What we essentially want to do with Byron is look at the identity — proper hamburger, good-quality meat and British brand origin — and rebrand it for new consumer tastes and preferences, whether that be smashed [burgers] or different concepts that are relevant nowadays.”
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A fresh digital push and an international leap are also on the menu. Dubai, with its growing appetite for British food brands, is top of the list. Tibrewala added: “Dubai has a lot of British presence now. Given that Byron was a UK-based brand … Dubai is a market we feel is going to have recognition as soon as we enter.”
Despite its turbulent past, the business still pulls in more than £11 million a year.
Tibrewala also says the fundamentals remain strong: “When we looked at the numbers, we figured that with some operational efficiencies and some cost reductions, we can get this across into the green. November was a good month for us.”