Pizza Express has reportedly hired financial advisers ahead of a meeting with lenders to review its debt situation as pressure on the business mounts.
The 470-store chain made losses for the last two years as its operating profits were more than offset by high interest payments on its £1.1bn debt pile. Sales in the UK and in its 150 overseas restaurants both fell last year.
Founded in 1965, Pizza Express employs 14,000 people and is now owned by Chinese private investment firm Hony. The Chinese company bought it from UK private equity firm Cinven in 2014. Few companies emerge from private equity deals without being laden with borrowing.
We can also reveal that Pizza Express is using halal chicken in every meal that contains the meat despite not letting people know about it.
The chain decided to only serve chicken that is killed in line with strict Islamic law after listening to feedback from Muslim customers.
Anyone going to Pizza Express is not told in advance the chicken they will be eating is halal. There is no mention of it on menus and staff only tell customers if they
ask.
According to Islamic teachings certain animals can only be eaten if their throat has been slit while it is still alive and this process is known as Halal Slaughter.
At Pizza Express’s 434 outlets popular meals such as Pollo ad Astra pizza, Pollo Pesto and the salads Chicken Caesar and Pollo Pancetta are all made with halal chicken
A spokesman for the embattled chain said:
“Our chicken is halal approved. We serve halal chicken in all of our UK restaurants. Pizza Express is committed to animal welfare standards. As such the birds are stunned before being slaughtered.
We are very happy to provide this information to our guests.
We spend a lot of time listening to our guests and do our best to cater to their needs. Whether this means creating vegan-friendly pizzas or serving halal chicken, we take their feedback seriously.”
Stephen Evans, of the National Secular Society, said: “Unsuspecting members of the public are routinely being duped into buying meat from religious slaughter methods.
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