Tesco has confirmed the sale of its Giraffe restaurant chain to Cinnamon Club and Harry Ramsden’s owner Boparan Restaurants Holdings. The sale of Giraffe includes 54 standalone restaurants, of which 12 are franchise sites, and three restaurants within Tesco stores for an undisclosed figure.

Commenting on the sale, Dave Lewis, Tesco chief executive, said: "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.

“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 Cafés and other providers. I'd like to thank colleagues from Giraffe for all their hard work in serving our customers and we look forward to seeing it develop in the future."

The company also confirmed that is has sold its 95.5% controlling stake in the Turkish grocery business Kipa.

Me Lewis said: "The sale of Kipa reflects the particular strategic challenge we have faced in Turkey as a small regional player in a highly competitive market.

"It removes the need for the sustained investment required to enable the business to compete independently, allowing us to focus on improving profitability in Central Europe and continuing to grow our businesses in South East Asia.

"The sale agreement recognises the significant improvements in the performance of the business over the last 18 months and I would like to thank Kipa colleagues, suppliers and partners for their service during a period of considerable change."