Sat 24th Jul 2021 - Bridgepoint lines up potential £500m sale of Burger King UK Bridgepoint lines up potential £500m sale of Burger King UK: Bridgepoint, the private equity group behind Burger King UK, is holding talks with bankers about plans to begin an auction of the fast-food chain – worth an estimated £500m – as it makes a recovery in sales post-pandemic. Bridgepoint, the newly listed owner of Burger King’s UK operations, has begun drawing up plans for a sale of the business next year in a bet on an accelerated recovery of Britain’s pandemic-hit restaurant industry, according to Sky News. The discussions are unlikely to result in a formal sale process for another 12 months, according to insiders, although they added a process could start early next year if sales continue to grow at a significant rate. The prospective appointment of bankers is likely to alert rival private equity firms and potential trade buyers, and comes exactly a year after Burger King UK’s chief executive, Alasdair Murdoch, warned of substantial job losses and restaurant closures as the covid-19 crisis decimated the hospitality sector. Although details are scant, the chain is said to have rebounded strongly in recent months, boosted by an expanded portfolio of drive-thru restaurants and it also has partnerships with Deliveroo, Just Eat and UberEats, which have helped to maintain sales momentum during lockdowns. Bridgepoint, which saw its shares soar after floating in London this month, has owned Burger King UK since late 2017. It owns about 80% of the UK estate, and is also a shareholder in Burger King’s French business but it is unclear whether it could seek to merge them ahead of an exit. One source told Sky News an initial public offering of the UK operation was also a possible option. The Burger King brand is owned globally by Restaurant Brands International, which is listed in New York. One analyst said the UK business could be worth more than £500m in the context of a recently reported deal that would see Cinven, another private equity firm, taking over the fast-food giant's Iberian master franchisee.